Changes In Circumstance
by AriMalfoy1
Summary: COMPLETE. Arianwen was very fond of life as she knew it, she lived in an expansive home in a beautiful country and was adored by her community. Then her father died and everything changed. Under the guardianship of her greedy uncle, Arianwen is banished to Scotland to attend Hogwarts for her sixth year and catches the attention of one particular blonde haired boy, Draco Malfoy.
1. Chapter One: Suspicions

**Chapter One: Suspicions**

It was a beautiful day. The wind rustled the leaves of the great oak tree that they had settled themselves under, the heat of the sun causing them to seek shade for a while. Arianwen and her friends had always enjoyed this particular patch of land within the expansive grounds that surrounded her home. It was just so peaceful, there was a small lake towards the bottom of the field, and wooded area beyond that. When they were little, Arianwen and her friends would play hide and seek amongst the trees, ice skate when the lake froze over in winter, and stop by the oak tree when they'd ventured out with the horses.

"So when are you leaving for Hogwarts?" questioned a dark haired boy, pulling Arianwen from her memories of happy summers past and back to the present.

"I don't know exactly, in a few weeks anyway. Not long to go..." she tailed off as she felt a nervous pang in her stomach, she wasn't looking forward to changing schools in the slightest. It had not been a decision that Arianwen had any say in; her Uncle Dafydd had just announced it one evening in July.

"I still don't understand why you have to go, its not like you're failing at St Albans?" a golden-haired girl chimed in. That was Arianwen's best friend, Brianne, a pretty girl with large brown eyes and lots of faint freckles dotted around her cheeks and nose. They had been friends since the age of three, when they first met in nursery and had both grown into two of the most attractive girls in their area. Brianne was particularly upset that her best friend was leaving her to attend a school hundreds of miles away in Scotland.

"I don't think my academic achievements have the first thing to do with the decision, as much as Uncle Dafydd tries to pretend. He just wants me out of the way so he can figure out how to steal my money –"

"Arianwen! Stop it!" a brown haired boy sat up quickly, looking shocked.

"Oh _come on_ Carwyn," Arianwen urged, "I know you believe in following the rules, but surely you can see past your sensibilities for a minute! My uncle has never been motivated by doing what's right, he cares only for money and power."

It was true, Dafydd Gwydion was the second son of the great Duke of Pembrokeshire & Carmarthenshire. He had plenty of status already but had always wanted what his elder brother, Dewi, had. As the elder son, Dewi had been given the title Marquess Gwydion, and Dafydd was simply 'Lord'. Dewi always had first pick of everything, houses, women, horses, the lot; Dafydd still received an excellent upbringing, but his personality hadn't fared so well from constantly living under his brother's shadow. Dewi had married an incredibly beautiful countess from Monaco called Annaliese who later gave birth to their beloved daughter Arianwen. He was the star child.

Dewi had married too, but the marriage ended in scandal when his wife left him for the Earl of Gwynedd, and taken a large portion of his money and land entitlements with her. The whole thing had left a rather bitter taste in Dafydd's mouth, it grew worse as he watched his brother thriving with his new family.

Tragically, Annaliese passed away when Arianwen was five years old. She'd been suffering from a rare illness that she'd contracted during pregnancy, and as Arianwen grew stronger, so did the disease. Her death did not please Dafydd, Annaliese had always been very kind to him but he did gain some form of sick satisfaction from seeing the golden child, his brother, so torn and broken. Arianwen hadn't coped with her mother's death very well at all, while she was only five, as the daughter to a Duke, she was expected to have a higher control on her emotions than she did. She screamed a cried at the funeral, and lashed out violently when anyone tried to subdue her. With Annaliese's standing in the community, the funeral had been far from intimate so Arianwen had been scolded greatly for embarrassing the family at such a public event. Her grandfather drafted in the help of a strict governess to teach Arianwen how to conduct herself like a Lady. When Arianwen was twelve, her grandfather passed away from old age… Arianwen, older and more practiced, didn't even shed a tear. Governess Matthews praised her for her composure.

" _You must learn to compartmentalise" Governess Matthews would tell her repetitively, "you will lock away your pain and carry on living in the present"._

 _She would picture a little cabinet with multiple stiff little wooden draws, whenever something happened that Arianwen didn't want to openly react to, she would picture her hand pulling one of the little draws open and drop a little black box into it. She would slam the draw shut and return to the present._

" _Governess Matthews?" the twelve year old Arianwen asked tentatively_

" _Yes, child?" The stern lady answered curiously._

" _What if I want to open one of the draws?" Governess Matthews knew what the small girl was referring to._

" _No Lady Arianwen. You must not open a draw once you've closed it, it will bring you far more sorrow and anguish than it could possibly bring happiness. No, you will keep the draws closed."_

"Arianwen!" she felt a hand shake her left shoulder roughly.

"Oh, sorry! I was just –"

"Daydreaming." Replied four voices in unison. Arianwen flushed, she did have a bad habit of zoning out half way through conversations, Governess Matthews would've slapped her if she was there.

"So uh, what were we talking about?"

Carwyn sighed loudly. He was the most sensible of the group, he often tried to provide the others with little speeches containing words of wisdom that he would suggest they take note of. He was a stocky boy, standing at 5"11, he was the shortest of the boys in their friendship group but he always held himself as if he were much taller. Carwyn had his dark brown hair slicked back importantly, his robes were always pristine and tailored with the latest high end materials. None of their group were exactly poor, they all came from long lines of pureblooded witches and wizards and held a variety of titles between them. Arianwen's father had always praised her on maintaing a 'well connected' friendship circle. There were two other boys in their group; Gwyn and Owain, they made an effort to hang out with Arianwen, Brianne and Carwyn as often as they could manage but were always busy with some kind of Quidditch match or other.

"You were about to tell us why you think your Uncle Dafydd is so evil." Gwyn reminded her, laughing.

"Ah…yes" Arianwen shuffled her bum closer to the base of the tree, trying to sit with more poise before making her next point, "I overheard him speaking with Mrs Zabini in the drawing room yesterday, he was telling her how it wouldn't be long before _'all of this is mine'_ and he would be _'the richest man in South Wales'_ "

She sat back dramatically, while her friends pondered the news. "He was probably just trying to show off, its pretty obvious how much he fancies her" Brianne tried to sound as positive as possible, "I'm sure he's not sitting in his big chair in the drawing room, plotting how to overthrow you and cackling to himself like some kind of villainous maniac!"

"I wouldn't be so sure" Owain's deep voice cut through the laughter of the others, "I agree with Ri, there's something not right about all of this." Owain was the oldest of the group, he was due to start his seventh year in September and was highly regarded by everyone in their school, St Albans. Owain would be Head Boy when school started up again, he was terribly clever and especially gifted in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Arianwen thought of him as an older brother, he was always on hand to give her advice and protect her from pushy reporters who would try to bully stories out of her.

"Agreed" added Gwyn, "Don't worry we'll keep an eye on him while you're gone" he put an arm round Arianwen comfortingly and she cuddled in to him obediently, "thanks guys."

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in Wiltshire…_

"If I have to go to another debutante ball I will hang myself" Draco Malfoy spat moodily. He was lounging on a garden sofa in the grounds of Malfoy Manor, sprawled across the other bits of furniture were Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and Blaise Zabini, a few of Draco's friends from Hogwarts.

Crabbe let out a bark of laughter at Draco's remark "it wouldn't be so bad if there was more talent" Crabbe argued, he rather liked the debutante balls, it gave the boys a perfectly legitimate excuse to ogle all the pureblooded witches of their age.

"Its true," Draco smirked, "but I haven't seen anyone particularly impressive yet".

"Oh I dunno" Goyle joined in, "Tracey Davis looked pretty fit at Pansy's ball"

"And Pansy basically had her tits out" Crabbe grunted, grining creepily at the memory of Pansy's attire.

The other boys all laughed heartily at this, "yeah Pansy's an adequate fuck, but that voice…" Draco visibly cringed at the thought of Pansy's high-pitched whine.

" _Draco my darling, why aren't you holding my hand?"_ Blaise put on a screechy voice, attempting to imitate Pansy Parkinson, " _Draaaaaco where are you? Don't you want to see my new knickers?"_

The boys all howled with laughter at this, while Blaise, now imitating Draco, jumped up and hid behind the sofa, pretending to look out for Pansy. "Honestly, I don't even know why you shag her Malfoy, she's a bit of a dog _and_ ," he paused, "the more you do it, the more you convince her that you'll end up engaged!" They all laughed again, Blaise shot Draco a disgusted look, as if he was tainted by association.

"Its just so easy" Draco drawled, "and powerful wizards have needs, she knows that."

Blaise scoffed. "You're such a conceited twat, a sixth year Hogwarts student is hardly a powerful wizard."

Draco paused, considering Blaise's words, should he tell them? They would find out sooner or later anyway, he thought. "Yes but not all sixth year students have one of these" he rolled up his sleeve to show the Dark Mark that had been burned onto it a few weeks prior. He sat back with a satisfied smile on his face as the other boys gasped, their mouths wide open in disbelief. "You see," Draco drawled superiorly, "powerful wizards have needs."

Blaise didn't know what to say, he hadn't expected that at all. Since when did the Dark Lord recruit students that were still in Hogwarts, what could he possibly have to gain from this new arrangement with Draco?

"Well fuck me" Goyle said, still astonished. He was interrupted from making any further comment as at that moment, a large tawny owl soared into their midst, landing on the arm of Blaise's chair.

"Zeus!" Blaise greeted his owl, stroking its head with the back of his index finger, "what have you got for me?" The owl held out its leg importantly, tied to it was an envelope that had been wax sealed with a coat of arms he was very familiar with. "Ah yes, Arianwen." He muttered.

"Ooh its from a girl! Who is she, Blaise?" Draco demanded, smiling slyly.

Crabbe, who was sitting nearest Blaise, shot to his feet and grabbed the letter straight out of Blaise's grasp.

"Oi, give that back!" but it was too late, Crabbe had already torn the letter open and hastened to read it aloud in an over emphasised high-pitched voice.

" _Dear Blaise,_

 _Thanks for writing, its nice to speak to someone other than the elves, Uncle Dafydd is doing his best to isolate me from everyone at the moment. Your mother was here last night, she seems to be getting quite close with Uncle Dafydd, anything I should know about? Do come along next time won't you? I'm going out of my mind with boredom!"_

Crabbe paused here for dramatic affect, while the other boys wiggled their eyebrows suggestively at Blaise.

Crabbe continued, " _Anyway I may as well break the news, seeing as I can't change Uncle Dafydd's mind… I'm transferring to Hogwarts for sixth year. As you can imagine I'm thrilled._

 _Unfortunately it seems that Uncle Dafydd isn't as dense as Father said, he must have seen the draught of living death (laced with poison, of course) that I had brewing in my lab. He'd gotten one of the elves to test his food for him, and well…bon nuit little elf… So now he's banned me from the lab as well, must he make my assassination attempts such a chore?_

 _Let me know if you have any more ideas, being locked up is curbing my creativity somewhat. You really must visit soon, Uncle won't mind, he can't turn down a Zabini after all. Brianne has been asking after you too…(I'm winking by the way)._

 _Anyway, I'll see you at the ball, you can give me the low down on your school. Do they really let muggles go to the same school as you? I can't understand why Uncle Dafydd is forcing this upon me, but psycho's will do as they please I suppose._

 _Miss you!_

 _Yours,_

 _Arianwen xx_

"Well well!" Draco smirked at Blaise, "who's this girl that you've got hidden away then? And who is Brianne?"

Blaise sighed in annoyance, he'd been friends with Arianwen for many years now and had managed to keep it quiet, he knew his friends would be far too interested in the situation, especially considering how attractive she is.

"My mother met her father at some society gathering when she was married to that Welsh guy. They're all from Wales, Lady Arianwen and I have been friends for a few years. She's been excellent company at all the functions my mother has been forcing me to attend."

" _Lady_ Arianwen is it?" Goyle asked sarcastically.

"Yes actually, she's quite a high member of the Welsh gentry. And that's Marchioness Arianwen Gwydion to you, Goyle." It was Blaise's turn to smirk, the Zabini's were certainly very well connected. At least while all the attention was on Arianwen, he didn't have to explain who Brianne was, he was not in the mood for the taunting that would most definitely be in store for him.

Draco turned to Blaise, "her surname is familiar, Gwydion did you say?" Blaise nodded and pointed to a magazine on the coffee table in front of Draco's sofa, "she's on the cover", he said.

Draco picked up the magazine, it was Witch Weekly, his mother had been reading it earlier that day. 'Marchioness Is Youngest Ever Witch to Receive Order of Merlin: Third Class' the title read. Below it was the image of a beaming sixteen year old, shaking hands with the Minister for Magic. Draco examined the picture, the girl was extremely pretty and her hair was glistening on the cover, it was long, thick and light golden blonde in colour, which hung effortlessy in curls, framing her tanned face. She had high cheekbones, a small button nose and a wide smile, her plump lips framing perfectly her straight glossy white teeth. The most striking of her features were her large green eyes, they weren't a bright emerald but more of a muted light green. The girl in the picture moved between shaking Scrimgeour's hand and smiling up at the reader proudly. He couldn't make out much of her body as she was holding the parchment with the Order of Merlin up to the camera. Draco looked back at Blaise in surprise, "how have you managed to keep someone like her quiet for so long?"

Blaise snorted, rolling his eyes at Draco, "because Malfoy, I knew how you would react… someone's got to protect the poor girl seeing as she has no father or brothers."

"Protect her? From me?" Draco laughed "Why?"

"Because you're the exact type of person someone like Arianwen should avoid. You'd just fuck her and run off when you get bored" Blaise raised an eyebrow at him accusingly.

"And?" Draco did his sly laugh again, confirming Blaise's decision to keep her quiet.

"Oh well, if she's coming to Hogwarts then you may as well give up, Zabini."

"Yeah," Crabbe added, "He'll definitely shag her now." Blaise pocketed the letter silently, ignoring his friends, they really were pigs sometimes.

"How has she got the Order of Merlin: Third Class?" Goyle piped up.

"Well if you read the article," Blaise shifted in annoyance, "you'd see that she's invented some new potion that can reverse some of the effects of the Cruciatus Curse, for when its been used a bit…enthusiastically".

"Oh." Draco looked a little disappointed, "She won't be a Slytherin then."

"We'll see." Blaise said, his tone indicating that they had reached the end of this particular topic.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello lovely readers! If you made it this far then I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, as you can tell there's a lot of setting the scene going on - I'll try and get to the good stuff as soon as possible! Please **review** to let me know what you think :)


	2. Chapter Two: Madam Louisa's

**Chapter Two: Madam Louisa's**

Arianwen sighed. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, holding a small leather bound black book in her hands. It was her diary and she felt as though its words were glaring at her nastily. Three more days until the impending doom and inevitable descension of her sanity that her first day in Hogwarts would provoke. The only thing she had to look forward to was her farewell party that her closest friends were organising. Gwyn had a particular gift for throwing the most lavishly liquor fuelled events, the type of events that would result in you referring to the Daily Prophet society section desperately, trying to remember what had unfolded the night before.

Wanting to go out with a bang, Arianwen felt she had to dress the part. She'd booked a fitting at one of London's finest boutique's, Madame Louisa's. Normally she would look forward to such a thing, however as she used to go with her father who would dote on her excessively and gush about how beautiful she was, this trip was just another reminder of how alone she'd become. She shook her head violently, attempting to haul herself from her pensive state.

Arianwen checked her watch, it read 9:15. She'd better hurry up if she was going to get there in time for her fitting at 10:30. She strode over to her wardrobe and flung the doors open, she'd have to wear a fairly good pair of robes, you could guarantee that you'd run into at least one person that you know and she wouldn't want to come across shabby. She stared at its contents, _how is that I have so many clothes and yet nothing to wear?_ _I'll have to pick up some extra things while I'm there._

She settled on a dark blue cloak, it was such a dark shade of blue that it could look black in some light but this meant that it complimented just about anything that she wore with it. There was a lovely pale lilac summer dress that she'd been waiting for an opportunity to wear, it had been sent to her as a gift from Owain's mother, a prestigious Welsh designer. Arianwen carefully pulled the dress on and looked at herself in the mirror. It fit perfectly, so perfectly that she couldn't help doing a little spin, smiling as the lightweight fabric floated up around her. The dress had small cap sleeves that just covered her shoulders, it fit snuggly on the torso, accentuating her chest without plunging down her cleavage and becoming looser as it draped down just passed her knees. She opted for pointed nude court shoes, with a heel of around 4 inches. When they were fourteen Brianne had discovered an amazing charm that stopped the stiletto heels from falling in between cobblestones or digging into softer ground, it had been a godsend and they'd spent a whole day performing the charm on each pair of shoes they owned.

She turned her attention to her hair, which was currently in a slightly messy bun at the top of her head. She loosened the bun until her thick locks cascaded down her back, resting in its usual wavy style. A half updo would compliment the dress, she thought. So she pulled the front sections of hair back and tied them in place with a small white ribbon that was lying on her dresser. Finally, she applied a small amount of makeup to highlight her features, and dabbed a rosy pink lipstick on her lips to enhance their natural colour and plump them up a bit. She took one last look in the mirror, feeling pleased with the outcome she continued into the hallway and down to the nearest flue point.

"Betsy!" she called into the sitting room, an elf appeared in front of her instantly.

"Lady Arianwen, how can Betsy be of service?" the familiar high-pitched voice of Arianwen's personal house elf echoed down the hall.

"I'd like you to inform my Uncle that I shall be in London for the day, tell him I'm picking up my new school supplies." It was a slight extension of the truth, she'd actually already secured most of her school supplies but a new wardrobe should _really_ be included in the list of essentials that Hogwarts had sent her. _First impressions are immensely important_ , she justified to herself.

"Yes of course, my lady. Is there anything else Betsy can do to assist you?" She was always so eager to please; Arianwen smiled at her warmly and said, "no that'll be all, thank you Betsy."

She walked over to the fireplace, picked up a handful of flue powder and threw it in stating clearly "Bond Square", she stepped into the flames and a few moments later walked out into the busy street. Dusting herself off, she looked around at the Square. It hadn't changed a bit, still perfectly quaint and charming, this was definitely one of Arianwen's favourite places in London.

Arriving at Madame Louisa's, the faint sound of classical music escaped from the gap between the floor and the bottom of the door. The music grew louder as she pushed the door open and stepped into the large reception area, she recognised the soothing melody as the second movement of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.6 in B Minor, a favourite of Madam Louisa.

"Ah, Lady Arianwen!" the receptionist cooed, dashing out from behind the elaborate front desk, taking her cloak and ushering her to a plush burgundy sofa. "Such a pleasure to see you again, do take a seat, Madam Louisa will be with you shortly."

Arianwen obeyed her and perched herself on the edge of the sofa neatly. "Thank you, Grace" she smiled at the receptionist politely. From the frequent visits that Arianwen and her father had made to the boutique, she'd built familiar terms with its staff. She looked around and smiled to herself, nothing had changed. The reception was made almost entirely of white marble, the marble on the floor was particularly noteworthy as it contained tiny flecks of gold, making it glisten under the sunlight that was streaming through the large glass windows to the front of the store. There was a collection of ornate brass furniture, all topped with luxurious burgundy velvet cushioning. At the centre of the room lay the large black marble reception desk, highlighted by the extravagant chandelier that twinkled above it.

Hanging along the walls was a cluster of different sized frames, many contained photographs of famous clients Madame Louisa had designed clothes for. Arianwen was reminded of an occasion at the store when she was eight, she'd been there for a fitting for some dresses that she needed for her upcoming tour of the counties they presided over. She'd fallen in love with a shimmery silver cocktail dress, it made her feel exceptionally grown up and sophisticated, and Madam Louisa had exclaimed how ladylike she looked. She remembered calling her father into the fitting room to ask his opinion, and the pride in his face when he saw his daughter looking so dazzling, " _you have the grace of your mother"_ he would tell her.

He took her hands and started guiding her through a slow waltz around the room, moving in perfect time to Tomaso Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor, a heartfelt classic that echoed melodically across the store. Madame Louisa had taken a photograph of that moment, that wonderful moment that Arianwen cherished so dearly. She turned her gaze to the wall on her left, standing silently she moved over to it and just as she remembered, there it was. An A5 sized photograph, housed in a polished ebony frame. There she was, smiling innocently up at her father as they danced elegantly, his face was positively brimming with happiness, both of them so engrossed in the moment.

A small cough announced the presence of someone behind her, Arianwen jumped and span around in surprise, she'd been so far away in her memories, she hadn't heard the pair of footsteps emerging from the fitting room. She span perhaps a little too quickly as she felt the fabric of her dress floating up her thighs before slowly swooshing down and resting again around her knees.

"Hello there dear, so lovely to see you again" Madam Louisa stood before her, smiling slightly pityingly at her, no doubt thinking of her late father. Louisa was a stately looking woman, although she was very tall and somewhat big boned, she always managed to present herself in a most ladylike manner. She had shoulder length, voluminous auburn hair and twinkling brown eyes, heavily guarded with smoky black eye make up. Although she must be approaching her mid fifties, her faced remained largely wrinkle free. Standing next to her was an attractive young man dressed in expensive looking royal blue robes, a client, Arianwen supposed. If she were to hazard a guess, she'd say he was around nineteen; he was very tall with broad shoulders and wonderfully striking white blonde hair.

"Oh hello Madam Louisa," Arianwen smiled prettily, "yes its' been far too long since I visited last." Madam Louisa moved towards the photograph on the wall, the blonde boy behind her watching curiously.

Louisa lifted the frame from the wall, speaking softly "such a lovely moment, your father was always such a commanding presence, you had everyone in my store watching you" she chuckled to herself and passed the frame to the blonde boy.

He took the frame and examined it carefully, smiling slightly at the sight of the little girl dancing across the photograph. Madam Louisa stood next to him, explaining who was in the picture, "that's the Duke of Pembrokeshire & Carmarthenshire, he used to shop with us quite regularly you know" the woman explained proudly, "and that's his lovely little girl, Arianwen" Louisa turned to Arianwen who was still standing in front of the sofa, feeling a bit awkward.

"How old were you then dear, do you remember?"

"I was eight." She responded, shifting slightly and trying not to look too uncomfortable that a stranger was examining an intimate moment she'd shared with her late father. The blonde boy looked up again, his eyes moving over Arianwen slowly as he evaluated her appearance, his expression remained frustratingly blank so she had no idea what he was thinking.

"Oh dear!" Madam Louisa exclaimed, throwing her hands up in disbelief, "where are my manners? Draco Malfoy, this is Lady…sorry, Marchioness Arianwen Gwydion" she corrected herself, only acquaintances could call Arianwen, Lady.

Arianwen held out her hand politely, expecting the blonde boy to shake it. Instead he walked over to her, took her hand and bent down, kissing it gently. His smoky grey eyes locked with hers as he straightened back up and she felt a blush creep over her cheeks as she held his gaze.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He said, his voice deep and modulated.

She flashed him her most attractive smile, she'd had much practice using that particular smile and it tended to result in her getting her own way. "Yes likewise, I have met a Narcissa Malfoy before, is she a relation of yours?" She'd met Narcissa at a society function of her father's, she remembered her well: a tall, slender woman with gorgeous deep blue eyes, sharp features that indicated good breeding and lovely shiny blonde hair.

The young Malfoy raised his eyebrow slightly, surprised by her words. "Yes she's my mother, where did you meet her?"

Arianwen nodded understandingly, it was not surprising that this Draco Malfoy was so handsome if Naricissa was his mother. "We met at a charity gala last summer, my father was fundraising to restore grand old houses to their former glory and your mother is on the board of trustees I believe." Draco nodded, his mother attended so many events it seemed quite feasible.

"She was quite breathtakingly stunning" Arianwen added earnestly. Draco laughed, looking down in amusement at the pretty girl before him, "I'm sure she would be most satisfied to hear you say so."

At this moment, Madam Louisa, who seemed to be getting a bit impatient at being ignored in her own shop, interjected, "come along then dear, we must get your fitting underway" and she ushered Arianwen towards the fitting room.

"Goodbye" Arianwen said softly to Draco, turning to move towards the fitting room, "it was lovely to meet you". Draco tilted his head to her in agreement, flashing her a charming smile, they locked eyes for one more moment before she walked delicately into the dressing room.

After half an hour of trying on all kinds of dresses, Arianwen settled for a floor length sequined gown. The dress clung to her body, showing off her curves elegantly; it had a sweetheart neckline to accentuate her cleavage, thin spaghetti straps and a long thigh split to give her the ability to move around. Toward the bottom of the dress the sequins became more sparse and tailed off into the nude fabric, it gave the dress a kind of waterfall effect. "Beautiful!" Madam Louisa exclaimed, "you'll be turning heads in this for sure!"

Arianwen smiled happily, the dress was so subtly gold that every time she moved it seemed to change colour, the sequins cascading down the dress twinkled from all angles. It was definitely the right type of dress for one of Gwyn's parties. She'd also settled on some other robes and dresses to take to Hogwarts with her, Blaise said that no one with taste would wear their robes into the local village on weekends, so she would need a couple of options.

As Arianwen changed back into her summer dress, she noticed something gold catch the light. She walked over to a chair that was angled to one side of the room, and saw a small gold signet ring. Picking it up, she ran a finger over the coat of arms that was engraved upon it, she frowned, not recognising it. "Madam Louisa, have you any idea who this ring belongs to? I found it on the chair over in the corner." She held the ring out for Madam Louisa to inspect.

"Ah yes, that's the Malfoy's coat of arms. Young Mr Malfoy must have left it behind by accident." Louisa strode over to the door and flung it open shouting, "Grace!"

Grace hopped into the room eagerly, "Yes, Madam Louisa?"

"Can you be a dear and send an owl to the Malfoy's to tell them we have Draco's ring? He'll have to come back in and get it!"

For some reason Arianwen felt a sudden urge to speak up, "I can return it to him, if you like?" Madam Louisa turned to Arianwen slowly, a knowing smirk creeping onto her face.

"Yes if you like dear, will you be seeing him again soon?" Louisa was struggling to stop herself from laughing.

"Uh yes, at a ball next week!" Arianwen invented wildly.

" _At a ball next week_ " Madam Louisa repeated slowly, attempting to hide the disbelief in her voice.

"Yes that's right." Arianwen made every effort to keep her voice and expression as nonchalant as possible, not wanting to look like a complete and utter fool. Madam Louisa took the ring from Grace and passed it back to Arianwen. "There we are then dear, be sure to give it to him next week. Have you got all the outfits you need now?"

Arianwen nodded, smiling politely, she threw on her cloak and walked back out into the reception. "Can you put it on my tab?" she asked Grace.

"Yes of course! Would you like to take everything now or shall I send it to your address?"

"Oh just now is fine, I haven't anything else to do in London today" and with that, Arianwen took the boxes of robes, slid the ring into her pocket and returned to Wales.

* * *

Back at home, Arianwen was pondering how she could return the ring to Draco Malfoy. She had no idea if she would run into him again any time soon but if she left it too long he would surely return to Madam Louisa's, only for them to tell him that she'd taken it. That would definitely make her look odd. She wasn't even sure why she offered to return it in the first place. Was she planning on using the ring as an excuse to see him again? Should she try and find out where he lives and just show up? Or maybe she could send Betsy to him with the ring?

Sighing, she walked to her study, Uncle Dafydd had not yet made this room off limits. It was a fairly large room for a study, three of its four walls were covered in bookcases, and one bookcase in particular was dedicated solely to books about potions. Arianwen was very fond of making potions… she found it relaxing somehow. She had a laboratory in the room next to her study where she would practice making all kinds of different potions; in recent years she'd also started to concoct her own potions, that's how she ended up with the Order of Merlin: Third Class. She'd created a potion that could lessen the effects of the Cruciatus Curse when it had been overused and the victim had lost their mind. It didn't restore their sanity unfortunately, Arianwen was still trying to find a way to achieve this, but it did help to restore some memories, therefore helping the victim to recognise and interact with family members and other visitors. Her uncle new how much she loved brewing potions and had been looking for an excuse to stop her doing so, so when Arianwen accidentally killed an elf with a few drops of the draught of living death, he hastened to seal the room.

Arianwen sat down at her desk, placing the little signet ring on the leather desk mat and staring at it blankly. _I'll just have to send it by owl post_ , she thought. Rummaging in one of her desk drawers, Arianwen found a small black box to put the ring in. She found a bit of cotton wool and fluffed it up so the ring had a bit of a cushion inside the box, it would stop it rattling around at least. She placed it in carefully and put the lid back on the box, she'd need to seal it somehow. Arianwen pulled out her wand and tapping the box, muttered "colloportus". She tried to open the box again but it remained firmly sealed shut. _Good_. She rummaged through another draw and found a reel of red ribbon, cutting a bit to size, she wrapped it around the box carefully and tied a perfect bow at the top.

She sat back and admired her handy work, she had always enjoyed wrapping things and giving people beautifully presented presents. Now for some kind of explanatory note to go with the box.

 _Dear Draco,_

No that wouldn't do, far too familiar. She tried again.

 _Dear Mr Malfoy,_

No. Again that wasn't right, the letter would end up in Draco's father's hands.

 _Dear Draco Malfoy,_

 _I am writing to inform you of the contents of the little box that should arrive with this note._

 _You left your signet ring at Madam Louisa's and I thought you ought to have it back as soon as possible. At least, she seemed to believe its your ring anyway, I hope I'm returning it to its rightful owner!_

 _Please don't find me too officious, I just thought it would save you the effort of returning to the store to collect it. Such a lovely heirloom would surely be stolen before too long._

 _I hope you are well._

She wasn't sure how to sign off the letter, she didn't want to sound too formal but similarly being too informal wouldn't do either.

 _Best wishes,_

 _Lady Arianwen Gwydion_

 _P.S: I sealed the box with a locking charm so you'll have to open it in the same way._

She didn't bother with her full title, her father had liked it when she would use it but Governess Matthews always said that it could come across as arrogant if only addressing her peers. She folded the letter carefully, popped it in an envelope and sealed it shut with hot wax, stamping her family crest into the wax as it dried. On the front of the letter she wrote as neatly as she could, _Mr. Draco Malfoy_. Then, opening the window to her study she called "Mordred!" and watched as a large Great Horned Owl flew towards her. The owl landed carefully on the window ledge and hooted softly, he was getting quite old now, his grey feathers fading slightly. Mordred was her father's owl but as he'd passed away, Arianwen saw no issue on using him from time to time.

"I've got a letter for you" the owl hooted again and held out its leg patiently. Arianwen tied the note to one leg and the box to the other. "Its for Draco Malfoy, I'm afraid I don't know where he lives but you've always been good at finding people" Mordred nibbled her finger affectionately, then turned and flew back out the window with purpose.

* * *

 _The following morning in Wiltshire…_

Draco stretched widely; he was in his room in Malfoy Manor and had just woken up. Rolling out of bed lazily, he yawned and walked into his en suite. After he had showered and dried himself, he pulled on some dark green robes and headed down to breakfast.

Pushing open the door to the breakfast room, he found his mother already sitting at the table and sipping some green tea. There was ample choice of food spread across the table, from croissant's to grapefruits, they were always well catered for.

"Good morning Draco" his mother greeted in her usual silvery tone.

"Good morning mother" he greeted back, taking a seat at the table and placing some toast on his plate. "Did you sleep well?" It was the usual polite morning conversation.

Narcissa looked as though she had not slept well, as was often the case now that his father was in Azkaban. "Oh quite well enough thank you darling" ironically, she sounded rather tired and fed up. Suddenly, a faint tapping on the window could be heard.

"Oh good, the post has arrived" Naricssa moved to open the window, and in flew three owls. All three flew over to the table and landed in an empty spot where Lucius normally sat. Each holding out their legs, Narcissa untied the post "there's one for you, Draco."

Draco stopped spreading jam on his toast, and looked up, trying to work out which owl had post for him.

"Here" Narcissa said, passing him a letter and a small black box, "these are addressed to you"

He looked down at the writing on the letter, it was neat and curly, whoever had sent it had clearly been taught calligraphy. He picked up the box and pulled off the ribbon, he tried to take the lid off but the box remained firmly shut.

"Why don't you read the letter first, darling?" Narcissa suggested.

Draco cracked open the seal and read the letter quickly, he couldn't help but smirk triumphantly. _So…I clearly made an impression then_. Draco liked to make an impression on all the attractive women he met and Arianwen was no different, it had been so hard to tell at the time whether his charms had worked, she just kept giving him that same pretty smile. He'd known exactly what he was doing of course; Draco Malfoy was notorious for charming women. He remembered how she blushed when he kissed her hand, and how her gaze had lingered on him a little longer than normal before Madam Louisa ushered her away. He had of course recognised her from Witch Weekly as soon as she'd turned around in the shop but not wanting to give the game away he had arranged his face to be innocently expressionless. She was even more beautiful he person, he had noted, and her body was surprisingly curvy considering she was so petite. This particular conquest was going to be very enjoyable.

Narcissa looked at her sons smirk and tilted her head, trying to work out what he was thinking.

"So" she prompted, "what's in the box?"

"Its just my signet ring, I left it in Madam Louisa's the other day by accident" he hadn't actually noticed it was missing.

"Oh I see, so she returned it to you then?"

"Uh no actually," Draco looked at his mother, trying not to smirk, "I met someone in the store and she decided to return the ring to me herself."

Narcissa raised her eyebrows, fixing her son with a hard stare, "and who is this girl that you met then?"

"She's Welsh, some kind of gentry by the sounds of it, Lady Arianwen Gwydion" he showed his mother the letter.

"Yes I know the Gwydion's, her father is a Duke you know. Very clever girl, she'll be very beautiful when she's older" Narcissa said, feeling pleased that Draco was mixing with such well-connected purebloods.

"Indeed" Draco drawled, smirking at his mother's predictable reaction, "Yes she mentioned that she'd met you at some gala last summer"

"Oh?" Narcissa asked, her tone clearly encouraging him to continue.

"Yes, in fact I think she described you as 'breathtakingly stunning'" It had the reaction that he had anticipated. Narcissa had an extremely satisfied smile on her face, she had always enjoyed receiving adoration from people, that's probably why she loved his father so much. Lucius spoiled Narcissa excessively, both with attention and material goods, and Narcissa loved every second of it.

"Such a charming girl" Narcissa cooed, she normally reserved that voice for him or his father, "I'll have to invite her and her father to tea".

"I don't think her father is still alive, mother." Draco warned.

"Oh really? What makes you say that? I haven't seen anything in the news." Narcissa said, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Just from the way she spoke, Madam Louisa kept referring to him in the past tense."

"Hmm that is odd, I'll have to try and find out more" and with that, Narcissa left to do some digging.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hope you guys enjoy chapter two, the story is a little slow moving at the moment but it'll pick up a lot in the next chapter. You'll also get to see a different side to Arianwen's personality. Let me know what you think :)


	3. Chapter Three: First Impressions

**Chapter Three: First Impressions**

Music blared through the west wing of the house, Arianwen was getting ready for her farewell party. She'd invited Brianne over so they could get ready together, then the boys would pick them up at 9pm. She still didn't know where they were going, she just knew the dress code: party formal. From what she knew about Gwyn's tastes, this basically translated to mean 'dress like you're going to a film star award ceremony after party', or as Gwyn had so delicately put it "we're gonna get fucked up but we wanna look good while we're doing it".

Both girls were dressed and ready to go, they were sitting on some armchairs in Arianwen's room, chatting loudly and sipping champagne. Arianwen was wearing her new dress from Madam Louisa's and now that she'd done her hair and make up, she loved the dress even more. She'd opted for a side parting and had swept all of her hair over one shoulder, she'd arranged it into large voluminous curls and wore scarlet red lipstick, accompanied by black winged eyeliner. The effect was very 'old Hollywood glam'.

Brianne had also gone for a floor length gown, only hers was a high halter neck dress with almost all of her back exposed. The dress was made from a black non-shimmering silk material, her golden blonde hair was pulled back into a sleek low bun and she'd opted for dark copper-effect eye makeup and nude lips. Both girls looked absolutely stunning, and they knew it. It added to their feeling of elation and excitement for the upcoming festivities.

Brianne topped up her glass of champagne; she was currently questioning Arianwen on Blaise Zabini, her current love interest.

"So what type of girls does he like?" she asked intently

Arianwen groaned, she hated gushing over guys, "well… I'm pretty sure he's wild for cute blonde girls in black dresses". Brianne pouted at her, she wasn't playing along.

"Come _oooon_ " she moaned, "be serious!"

"Okay fine. I know he likes intelligent girls, there's nothing worse than feeling like you're talking to a brick, but he doesn't like it when they know more than him about Quidditch" she rolled her eyes, as if to say _'men!'_ , "and I know he's a butt kinda guy… so you're all set there" she winked as Brianne laughed loudly, "but apart from that I'm not sure, you'll just have to get to know him" she gave her another exaggerated wink and waggled her foot against Brianne's leg.

"Now top me up, bitch!" The girls always struggled to keep any level of decorum when they were together, especially when alcohol was involved.

"So Hogwarts tomorrow then." Brianne said, changing the subject.

Arianwen gave a long sigh, "yeah, I can hardly wait" she said sarcastically, "and their train leaves at 11am, how the hell am I meant to be awake and ready in time for that?!"

Brianne laughed, she knew from experience what Arianwen was like on a hangover…and it wasn't pretty.

"So how did you manage to convince your uncle to let you come tonight?"

"I didn't" Arianwen admitted, "I got Rufus to invite him to the Ministry's summer ball" she grinned mischievously. When she referred to 'Rufus', she was talking about the Minister for Magic; he'd attended school with her mother and had a bit of a soft spot for Arianwen.

Brianne laughed, "very good, well done!"

They heard shouts from outside and ran to the window, the boys had arrived.

"Come on!" Owain shouted, "Lets gooooo!" When the girls got outside, they could tell that the boys were a bit tipsy, Gwyn had undone his bow tie, Owain's shirt was half untucked and Carwyn's normally perfectly slicked back hair had become unruly. Arianwen preferred it that way anyway, it gave him more of an approachable youthful handsomeness.

The three of them looked positively giddy with excitement. "So? Where are we going?" Arianwen questioned, as she and Brianne hugged each guy in turn.

"It's a surprise!" Gwyn shouted, clearly amped up by the bottle of fire whiskey he was clutching.

"Aren't your sisters coming?" Brianne asked Gwyn.

Arianwen looked delighted, "Bron and Katie are coming? Where are they?" Whenever Gwyn's older sisters went out with them, they had the craziest night. The three siblings all looked quite similar, they all had light brown hair, deep tans and light honey-brown eyes. Gwyn was the youngest, then it was his sister Bronwen who was 18 and Katie who was 19.

"They're just waiting outside the gates" Gwyn beamed, he was very close with his sisters, the three of them went partying quite regularly.

When they reached the gates, they could hear the excited chatter of Bronwen and Katie, so Arianwen and Brianne ran out to greet them. All four girls screamed at each other and jumped about wildly.

The group gathered in a circle and exchanged compliments and well wishes. Then suddenly flashing cameras repetitively lighted up the scene, the paparazzi had arrived. The press were always so interested in the antics of young aristocrats. One reporter shouted out to them "where are you off tonight guys?"

Gwyn span round and brandished his bottle of fire whiskey happily, "PARIS!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. The rest of the group whooped and cheered enthusiastically. Arianwen felt a hand on her arm, Owain was grinning down at her, "lets go!" and before she knew it he had pulled her close and apparated.

They arrived outside an exclusive Parisian club in a heartbeat. Arianwen beamed at Owain and leaped into his arms happily, "ahh! I love this place! Thank you so much everyone!"

They entered the club, which was already heaving with people despite the early hour. The club manager led them into the V.I.P area, where the England National Quidditch team were celebrating a victory from earlier that evening. Owain led them over to a large booth, which held more bottles of spirits, wines and champagne's than they could possibly drink between them. Carwyn started pouring drinks, and before she knew it, Brianne was pressing a glass into her hands.

Carwyn stood up, raising his glass in a toast, "To Arianwen!" he shouted, "Our very dear friend and hangover savior, we'll all miss you very much. Don't go making too many friends and forget about us" he joked, "now lets get fuckin' steamin'" his accent thickened the more he drank.

Everyone cheered and downed their drinks…and that was the last thing Arianwen remembered…

* * *

"Lady Arianwen!"

"Shhhh"

"Lady Arianwen! You must wake up!"

"Nooo. Go away!"

"Lady Arianwen!" The high-pitched shouting was getting louder and more urgent.

Suddenly, light flooded the room and Arianwen groaned loudly. She was lying face down in bed, limbs spread out in a starfish motion, it was incredibly un-ladylike.

"Betsy!" she attempted to shout angrily, but all that came out was a hoarse whisper. Next thing she knew, her duvet had been ripped away from her.

"Noooooo" she groaned again, assuming the fetal position.

"Lady Arianwen must wake up." The voice said matter-of-factly, only this time it came from above her head. Arianwen opened an eye in confusion; Betsy was hovering above her, a large vat of water looming ominously over her head. Betsy clicked her fingers and the freezing water plummeted down, covering Arianwen from head to toe.

"AAAARGH!" she screamed and leapt up.

"I'm sorry my lady but Betsy must make sure you get to Kings Cross on time, Master Dafydd insisted!"

Arianwen could've punched something, dripping wet and shivering, she ran to her bathroom and turned the water on in the shower. She started peeling the wet clothes off her, only to realise that she'd been sleeping in a blue silk blouse and a bright coral summer skirt that she hadn't worn for about five years. Whoever had put her to bed clearly had no idea what girls' pyjamas look like. She jumped in the shower and let out a deep breath as the warm water engulfed her.

"Betsy?" she called.

"Yes, my lady?" the elf's voice became clearer as she entered the bathroom.

"What time is it?"

"Its twenty past ten, my lady"

Arianwen yelped, "WHAT?" she had to be on the train by eleven.

She'd never got ready faster. She shoved on her new uniform and stuffed the cloak into her luggage so the muggles wouldn't stare at her as if she were mental. Muttering a drying spell while waiving her wand at her hair, she roughly forced it into a loose bun on top of her head and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked pretty washed out, with dark circles under her eyes. Her lips always puffed up when she was hungover but luckily it quite suited her, she was naturally quite tan so unless you knew her well you would probably just think she looked a bit tired. By twenty to eleven, she was ready to go.

Grabbing the aviators from her dresser and shoving her watch on, Arianwen flew out of the door and down the stairs to the entrance hall where her trunk was waiting for her.

Betsy placed a tiny hand on the luggage and another in Arianwen's palm and they apparated to the wizard waiting room at Kings Cross Station in London. Arianwen said her goodbyes to Betsy and made her way quickly through the barrier on platform 9¾. An impressive black steam train was waiting in the station, steam billowing from its chimney. The platform was surprisingly quiet, Arianwen noted, there were just a few families dotted around, talking to what she assumed were first years through the windows of the train. Maybe everyone was already on board.

She lugged her trunk onto the train and started walking down the long carriages, looking for somewhere to sit. She didn't have to search for long though, most of the carriages were empty. Her nose wrinkled in confusion, she looked down and her watch and cursed loudly at what she saw. It was only ten to ten. Betsy had lied to her; it must've been just twenty past nine when she was awoken. Arianwen heard a squeal beside her, a timid looking ginger girl had jumped at her swearing and was now walking quickly in the other direction. She rolled her eyes in exasperation, not that anyone could tell because she still had her sunglasses on, _and they're staying on_ , she thought moodily.

She wandered about half way down the train and opened a carriage door, _at least I get first pick_. With one great swing, she lifted her trunk onto the bench opposite and opened it. She found a small travel pillow, a bottle of water and a silk scarf. Betsy knew her hangover preferences well.

She kicked off her flats and flumped down onto the bench beneath her, it was a nice soft material and the cushions were plump and squishy, perfect for a nap. Putting her travel pillow at the window end of the bench, she lay down dramatically. Sunglasses still shielding her eyes, she pulled the silk scarf over her face and clutched her water bottle. Now for some much needed sleep.

Arianwen awoke to a loud horn, signaling the departure of the train, a faint chugging sound came from underneath her compartment, and the train slowly started to move from the platform. She kept the scarf on her face, hoping that she looked unapproachable so no one would bother her. She could hear a low buzz of chatter and the occasional shriek or excited shout, closing her eyes again, she attempted to drift off.

* * *

Blaise had settled himself in their usual Slytherin compartment, it was near the back of the train and they had sat there ever since their first journey to Hogwarts in first year. His classmates slowly started to trickle in and take their seats; he shook hands with Theodore Nott and nodded at Crabbe and Goyle, most of the Slytherin girls in his year preferred to sit in their own compartment and gossip about their respective summer holidays. Blaise was absolutely fine with that, it meant that they'd all calmed down a bit by the time they were seated at the house table for the feast.

His thoughts moved to Arianwen, she should be somewhere on the train. Blaise pictured her trapped in a compartment with a group of excitable first years, she would absolutely _despise_ it. _I bet she's feeling fresh today_ , he smirked, remembering this morning's paper. Arianwen had gone one a big blowout before the new term, and unfortunately due to her status and that of her friends, the paparazzi had followed her everywhere. There were some less than favourable pictures of her in the Daily Prophet's society section. He'd brought the paper with him of course, he knew her reaction would be amusing. He made a mental note to go and look for her after he'd been to see this Professor Slughorn fellow, as requested.

By the time he got back to the compartment, Draco and Pansy had also returned from their prefect duties.

"Draco", he said, shaking his hand, "nice to see you again Pansy" he lied.

He stood up and pulled his trunk down from the racks and rummaged around blindly until his fingers curled around the familiar texture of the Daily Prophet. He went to leave the compartment but was stopped by Draco's voice.

"Where are you going now?" Draco drawled despairingly, he'd barely seen any of Blaise for the whole journey.

"I want to see if I can find Arianwen, she had a big night last night," he said smirking, "I wouldn't be surprised if she missed the train."

"Well I suppose you'll be wanting a prefect to accompany you then, keep you out of trouble and all that." Blaise did not want company.

"If you must," he drawled in a bored tone.

"I'd better come with you!" Pansy piped up, Blaise couldn't help but roll his eyes; she really couldn't bear to be without Draco for more than a few minutes.

Blaise repeated his previous statement, "If you _must_."

They made their way down the train, looking in the various compartments for any sign of Arianwen. Well, Blaise was looking; Pansy was just clinging to Draco, whispering things in his ear and giggling. He stopped outside a compartment in the middle of the train and laughed at the sight before him. There she was, lying dramatically across a whole bench, her trunk perched on the opposite bench presumably in an effort to stop people sitting there. It had clearly worked and Blaise could understand why, she looked extremely unapproachable. She had a silk scarf draped over her face, with one arm extended, resting on her forehead. She'd taken her shoes off too and her socks were crinkled around her ankles; her skirt had ridden quite far up her thighs revealing her long, toned legs. Possibly the most amusing part of this display was the way she was clutching her bottle of water. She looked like a corpse that was about to be pushed out to sea in a little boat that would be set on fire with a flaming arrow. The whole effect was really very amusing.

"Here she is," Blaise said, nodding to the compartment. Draco and Pansy both stared at the girl, matching expressions of bewilderment on their faces. He gestured to them to be quiet and slid the compartment door open.

Draco and Pansy sat on the available bit of bench next to Arianwen's trunk and watched as Blaise perched on a small section of bench next to Arianwen's motionless body. A wand was instantly pressed against his throat, _she's awake then_.

"Relax, its just me." The wand lowered slowly, and a husky voice whispered.

"Go away, I'm sleeping."

Blaise laughed and whipped the scarf off her face. He was even more amused to see that she was wearing dark aviator sunglasses; she really must be feeling rough.

"No you're not. Are you going to take the sunglasses off and look at me?" She huffed at him like a spoiled child that was being forced to have a bath. She moved the sunglasses onto her head but her eyes remained closed.

"Arianwen." Blaise said sternly. She sighed again but opened one eye begrudgingly.

"What do you want?"

"Just to see how you're getting on after last night. Do you remember much?" He tried to make the question sound as casual as possible but her other eye instantly snapped open and she sat up quickly.

"What do you know?" She asked suspiciously, she still hadn't noticed the other people in the compartment.

"Wow, you look ghastly!" He said, avoiding the question. Draco laughed to himself at this, Blaise could be so blunt. He thought she looked fine, a little tired perhaps but otherwise still very naturally pretty.

"Oh cheers," she said sarcastically, "I don't have any of my hangover potion left so I've been forced to rough it out like a _muggle_ " she said, spitting out the last word venomously.

"Ahem" Pansy cleared her throat, making the blonde girl jump.

"Arianwen, this is Pansy" Blaise explained, gesturing to the dark haired girl opposite.

Arianwen sat up fully, placing her legs back on the floor. "Hello," she smiled prettily at the girl and extended her hand, "I'm Arianwen Gwydion".

"Pansy Parkinson" said the other girl, shaking Arianwen's outstretched hand.

Arianwen suddenly noticed the other person in the compartment, it was the blonde haired man from Madam Louisa's, she looked at him in utter bemusement. She had been so sure that he was much older than she. Draco smirked at the confusion on her face.

"Hello," he flashed her that charming smile, "nice to see you again".

Arianwen just nodded and frowned, her brain not fully comprehending everything that was going on, all she could think was that she'd like it to stop pounding so loudly in her ears.

Then suddenly it dawned on her, the guy from the store, the guy whose ring she'd taken and awkwardly returned via owl. It was _him_ , he was in her compartment, he could see her loose bun, her horrible dark circles, her wrinkly socks- _wait…WHY ARE THEY SO WRINKLY?!_

The other people in the compartment jumped, looking at Arianwen in horror. Realising that she'd just screamed her last thought aloud, Arianwen saw no other way out.

She put her sunglasses back on and shrunk back to the corner of the bench, _they can't see me, I'm invisible, they can't see me_ , she told herself.

"Uhh…I think you need that hangover potion," Blaise said looking startled, "I have some spare from the bottle you gave me." Arianwen perked up, like a dog that'd just got a whiff of their dinner.

Blaise picked the bottle out of his inner robe pocket and passed it to her. Without hesitation, she downed the entire contents and paused for a few moments.

It was as though she'd been brought back to life, the pounding in her head had completely disappeared and she no longer felt there was any danger of sudden vomiting. She put the sunglasses back on to reveal her now radiant face, any trace of dark circles had disappeared. She looked around at them all, smiling happily, her foul mood lifted instantly.

Blaise laughed, cutting the tension in the room. "Feeling better now?" he teased.

"Yes, thank you. You're an angel!" her eyes widened as she looked at Blaise, an innocently earnest appreciative expression on her face.

She turned to Draco and couldn't help but laugh, "shall we start again? Hello Draco Malfoy, how are you?" she extended her hand to him, and once again he took it and kissed it.

"Just Draco is fine. And I'm well thank you. I've been meaning to thank you for returning my ring to me."

"You know each other?" said Blaise and Pansy in unison. Pansy's tone was a lot more aggressive than Blaise, who just sounded confused.

"We met the other week in Madam Louisa's boutique" Arianwen explained, her voice no longer hoarse.

Pansy gave Draco an accusing stare, "and why did she have your ring Dracie?" she had a horrible voice, Arianwen noted, she seemed to be forcing an overly girly high-pitched simper.

"I left it there by accident and Lady Arianwen was kind enough to return it to me." He drawled sounding slightly irritated; he loathed being called 'Dracie'.

"Just Arianwen is fine." Arianwen mirrored, ignoring the other girl's whining.

"The train should be arriving soon," Blaise informed standing up and sliding the compartment door open, "we should head back and get our stuff."

The other two nodded and stood up, following Blaise to the compartment door.

"Good luck at the sorting ceremony," Blaise said to Arianwen, winking encouragingly.

"Thanks, see you guys later."

* * *

When the train arrived in Hogsmeade, Arianwen hopped off carefully, dragging her trunk behind her. After her visitors had left her compartment, she'd decided to neaten herself up a bit. She'd removed her hair from its casual bun and brushed it out so it lay in waves, an iridescent glow shining through it from the sunset on the platform. She pinned the one of the front side sections of hair back and let the rest flow naturally. She'd also applied some highlighter to her upper cheekbones and temples, mascara to accentuate her thick long lashes, and lip-coloured lipstick to make her lips appear plumper. All the other students were making their way towards some carriages and Arianwen started to follow them before a great bear like giant called her name out and informed her that she was to approach Hogwarts on a boat, with all the first years.

It was a humiliation that she endured as casually as possible, not wanting everyone else to pick up on her awkwardness. The castle was quite lovely, she mused as her boat moved silently across the lake. Its many windows lit up with candlelight, it seemed to twinkle proudly as they approached.

On arriving in the large entrance hall of the castle, they were greeted by an old, stern looking witch who spoke in a thick Scottish accent.

"Hello students, I am Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House and Deputy Head Teacher," she surveyed them all carefully, looking over her thin silver-rimmed glasses at each new face, "Right then, you must all wait here until the sorting ceremony commences. You will each come to be sorted individually when I call your name."

A few minutes later, the grand doors to the Great Hall opened and they all filed in, following the professor down the centre of the long hall to a little stool that was placed in front of the teacher's table. Arianwen looked round, trying to spot Blaise. She saw him at the far left table, he seemed to be listening intently to a story from an animated Draco Malfoy. The group all laughed nastily and looked over to a dark, messy-haired boy who was rushing down the side of the second table on the right, seating himself next to a ginger haired boy. His face seemed to be covered in dried blood and he was attracting quite a few horrified stares from his fellow students. She assumed his current bloody appearance had been caused by Draco, as he was smirking and laughing proudly as his friends patted him on the back.

She was drawn away from her thoughts when a loud song started echoing through the hall. Looking towards the source of the noise, she saw a ragged hat moving about on the stool next to Professor McGonagall, it was singing an odd song about Hogwarts, the different houses and how they should all stand united or face mortal peril. She had no idea which house she'd be put in, Blaise had roughly run through the characteristics of each house with her when they'd been together in the summer, but she didn't really have a preference from what he'd told her. He had said something about all the blood traitors ending up in Gryffindor House, though.

McGonagall started reading names from a long parchment, she was reading in alphabetical order so when she had reached, "Gorman, James", she expected to be one of the next people to be sorted.

She watched as little James sat down on the stool and the hat was placed on his head, he was so small that the hat covered his eyes. A few seconds later it shouted, "Hufflepuff!" and the far right table started clapping and whooping merrily.

"Henderson, Morag" Professor McGonagall called. Arianwen wrinkled her nose in confusion, why had her name not been called? She groaned inwardly, knowing that she'd end up being the very last name to be called. Standing amongst the first years was already embarrassing enough without it being dragged out unnecessarily. She looked like a giant in comparison to them, and she was only 5"6 so they must be especially small.

After what felt like an eternity, she was the only student remaining to be sorted. However, rather than calling her name, McGonagall addressed the room before her, "This year we have a transfer student joining us from St. Alban's School in Wales, you will all join me in welcoming her to the school," McGonagall started clapping and the rest of the students followed suit politely. It was all she could do not to roll her eyes. Luckily she was quite used to being the centre of such a large crowd, as she'd often co-hosted large parties and events with her father.

"Marchioness Arianwen Gwydion" McGonagall announced. Arianwen cringed internally; the English and Scots had done away with most of their titled landed gentry in the late 1800's so announcing her full title made Arianwen look rather self-important.

Despite her inner turmoil, Arianwen lifted her chin and moved gracefully towards the stool. Perching upon it, she waited for the sorting hat to assign her a house.

"Oh how _interesting_ ," a smooth voice spoke in her ears, "we don't get many Welsh students. Now where to put you, where to put you. You possess a lot of the Hufflepuff qualities I see: hard working, kind-heartedness, patience. Though the same can be said of Slytherin, you're very resourceful and expertly cunning. Hmm where to put you."

The hat seemed to ponder the decision for a while, muttering about her Hufflepuff qualities versus the Slytherin ones, and then finally it announced to the room,

"Slytherin!" She heard a mass groan coming from the Gryffindor table but ignored them and made her way over to the table on the far left, smiling as Blaise beckoned her over.

"Excellent!" Blaise praised as she took the empty seat next to him, "I did wonder which house you'd end up in." he mused, her fellow sixth year students were all watching her, trying to figure her out.

"Yes," Arianwen agreed, "it did seem to be quite conflicted, kept talking about my Hufflepuff qualities-"

"Yucgh!" Pansy interrupted, looking like she'd just smelled something rotten and disgusting. "How on _earth_ did you get sorted into our house if the hat said you have Hufflepuff qualities, they don't mix in the slightest." The five girls that were sitting with Pansy all broke out into loud, nasty laughter, looking at Arianwen in contempt.

Arianwen surveyed Pansy coolly, her green eyes flashing wickedly at the challenge. She felt Blaise tense beside her, clearly noticing the shift in atmosphere. "Apparently," Arianwen drawled, her voice sounding almost lazily evil ( **A/N** : think Scar from the Lion King) "I am most patient." She heard a low chuckle from beside her, Blaise could appreciate the irony of the situation as he knew how much restraint his friend was currently practicing.

"Well," came a quiet voice from across the table. Arianwen looked over to see a pale weedy boy, his hair was a very dark shade of brown and his face was somewhat rabbity. "Clearly she has enough of the Slytherin traits to have been placed amongst us. I'm Theodore Nott." He held out his hand and she shook it politely, flashing her usual captivating smile.

"I believe you may know my father, Theodore Nott Sr.? I met your father a few times, shame to hear about his passing." The boy didn't look like he thought it was a shame in the slightest, in fact he had a provoking smirk on his face. She was being challenged again. Arianwen paused, now that he mentioned it, she did remember Theodore Nott Sr. She hadn't liked him one bit, he'd always been so creepy and evil looking, _a textbook villain_ , she mused. Her father hadn't liked him either, she recalled him telling her about a time when Nott had tried it on with her mother, when Arianwen was much younger. Their paths only crossed when absolutely unavoidable, at functions and suchlike.

Speaking in her usual calm soft-spoken tone, Arianwen replied, "yes I do believe I met him a few times, a very competent wizard" it was the type of veiled comment one would make when they couldn't find anything else positive to say. The boy's arrogant smirk remained in place, "yes," she drawled as if in deep thought, "pity about his current _incapacity_." That wiped the smirk off his face.

She was referring to his father's current incarceration in Azkaban prison, it had been widely reported in all the newspapers that summer. The boy leant back, seeming to ponder something.

He nodded once, indicating to Arianwen that she'd passed his little test. The boy proceeded to introduce the other sixth year Slytherins at the table. There were two thuggish boys, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle; Draco Malfoy, whom she'd already met; and six girls. Pansy of course, and then Millicent Bullstrode, Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis, Kathleen Spencer, and Margaret Avery.

Arianwen greeted each person politely, before Theodore Nott spoke again.

"And how should we address you? Marchioness or Lady?" The others looked at her, she thought she picked up a hint of jealousy in the gazes of the girls.

"Simply Arianwen will suffice for now." She inclined her head at them importantly, like a Queen dismissing her subjects. She couldn't have them forgetting her superior bloodline, _perhaps if they hadn't all been so rude…_

There was a general consensus of understanding and then the table broke out into clusters of animated chatter.

Arianwen glanced at Draco, who hadn't spoken in a while. He looked somewhat perturbed and she instantly remembered that his father was also locked up in Azkaban, she'd read it in the news. Feeling guilty, she flashed him an apologetic smile but he looked away, his face blank, and struck up a conversation with Pansy, who looked sickeningly thrilled.

Noticing the exchange, Blaise spoke to Arianwen in an undertone, "he's still quite sensitive about it, he's very close with his father you see. He looks up to him." Arianwen nodded in understanding, maybe she would mention something if she got a moment alone with the blonde haired boy.

In an attempt to change the subject, Blaise pulled out his copy of the morning's Daily Prophet and dropped it into Arianwen's lap.

She groaned loudly, "do I have to look?" she shot him a pleading look but he had already picked up the paper and found the relevant page.

There she was, on the front cover of the society section, doing a body shot of vodka off a dwarf with her hands tied behind her back. There were other people in the picture too, seemingly cheering her on. She watched as her photographic self proceeded to do three more shots, before Bronwen untied her hands and she was hoisted into the air in celebration by a few members of the English Quidditch team.

Noticing the page that Arianwen and Blaise were looking at, Daphne Greengrass exclaimed, "that was _you_?!" The attention of all the other sixth years were now upon her, even some of the seventh years were looking over curiously.

"Ah…" Arianwen struggled to keep her voice flat, "yes that's a little…unfortunate." Blaise howled with laughter at the look of sheepish amusement on her face.

"That's not all," Daphne announced and reached over to snatch the paper from Arianwen grasp.

She turned the page and held the paper out for Draco and the girls on her side of the table to see.

Pansy laughed evilly, pointing at another picture, "Look she's making out with Edward Fenwick!" the girls all giggled hysterically.

"Was he amazing?" Margaret Avery cooed. Edward Fenwick was the captain of the English National Quidditch team, he was devilishly handsome and had an army of female fans.

"Hmm" in all honesty, Arianwen couldn't even remember seeing him. She took the paper back and looked at the picture. Draco exchanged amused looks with Blaise as her mouth formed a small 'o' of realization. She looked up from the paper and couldn't hide the mischievous look on her face as she replied, "he was a bit nibbly actually."

The girls screamed with hysterical laughter, Arianwen would fear for Ed's safety if he ever met this group of girls. They seemed like the type of people that would buy the most expensive and powerful love potions on the market.

"You really should learn to control yourself on nights out." Blaise drawled teasingly, still looking amused.

"Yeah," Crabbe piped up randomly, "pureblooded witches should have more grace."

"Yeah!" Goyle this time, "you'll never marry into a good family with pictures like that in the press!"

Arianwen fixed them with a cool, penetrating stare and they seemed to shrink in their seats a little. Their mothers had clearly sprouted this information at them repetitively and they knew no better than to parrot it back out. The girls had become hushed, wondering how Arianwen would respond to such insults.

"If you'd seen what I have seen, you too would turn to the bottle." It was a mysterious thing to say and Draco found himself becoming very curious about what had happened to this girl to make her say such a thing.

"Besides," Arianwen added, looking over her subjects with an air of extreme paramountcy, "I am to be the Duchess of Pembrokeshire & Carmarthenshire, I _am_ the 'good family' you speak of. I don't need a man."

Crabbe and Goyle both looked bemused, they'd never heard a woman say she didn't require a husband; pureblooded witches were normally obsessed with plotting their engagement possibilities. Some of the girls were looking at her in adoration, they had become so used to the casual sexism that they didn't even think to challenge it. Draco and Blaise both exchanged a look and Blaise rolled his eyes, making Draco laugh to himself. He hadn't expected Arianwen to be so head strong, when he met her in Madam Louisa's, she'd seemed so sweet and innocent. He quite liked it though, maybe there was more to her than just a pretty face.

* * *

 **A/N:** So that's chapter three, let me know what you think :) Thanks to **lightbabe** for your review! The chapter's seem to be getting steadily longer at the moment, I'll try and cut down a bit on the next one, there's just been so much I've wanted to squeeze in!


	4. Chapter Four: The Hospital Wing

**Chapter Four: The Hospital Wing**

Arianwen was waiting in a small queue to enter her new Slytherin common room and dormitories. The other sixth years were waiting in line impatiently as the first years squeaked and squealed at the sight of their new term-time home.

"Come on! Hurry it up." Goyle shouted thuggishly, pushing his way through to get through the tapestry guarding their common room. Crabbe was right behind him, elbowing unsuspecting students out of the way painfully.

Blaise looked at Arianwen and rolled his eyes, motioning for her to follow him through the path of bodies that Crabbe and Goyle had forged. He led her over to a group of sofas and armchairs that surrounded a large fireplace, she was surprised to see that there was a roaring fire on the go considering it had only just turned the 1st September today. _This is Scotland though_ , she reminded herself, feeling a bit home sick.

The other sixth year Slytherins all took seats around the fire and started chatting. Arianwen sat on a grand Brunswick green, camel backed sofa, long enough for four people. Blaise sat next to her and started telling her about his mother's new fiancé.

"Dracie!" Pansy squawked as soon as she spotted Draco relaxing in an armchair facing the fire. "We've got prefect duties, remember?" Draco clearly didn't remember as he looked utterly confused.

"What? I thought-" Pansy silenced him by putting a stubby finger on his lips, she sat on his lap seductively and whispered something in his ear. Draco raised his eyebrows as a wicked grin appeared on his face, he put his hands on her hips and pushed her off, standing quickly and started towards the boys dormitory. Pansy looked extremely smug, she turned and glared pointedly at Arianwen. The look really didn't become her, her pug-like features squashing even further; Arianwen couldn't help but curl her lip slightly, she didn't appreciate such blatant bitchiness.

Pansy rushed to grab Draco's hand before descending down to the boys dormitories.

"Prefect duties, eh?" Blaise drawled, the boys all laughed crudely.

Daphne Greengrass stood up and walked over to Arianwen, "sorry about Pansy, she gets a bit defensive over Draco." Arianwen was taken aback by the girl's politeness. She gave her a friendly smile and spoke again, "come on, we'll show you the dorm room if you like."

 _Ahh so Pansy is their supreme leader_ , it was the only explanation for Daphne's sudden friendliness now that Pansy was out of earshot. Arianwen glanced over to the other girls, they smiled back and her and beckoned her to go with them.

"Okay then, lets go." She accepted, returning a warm smile.

The girls all walked towards their private staircase, just before she descended, Arianwen glanced back at Blaise and shrugged, he smiled back knowingly.

They entered a large bright room, there were seven four-poster beds along the walls, leaving a large space in the centre of the room. The girls already seemed to have designated beds as they each went and sat on different beds automatically.

"Which bed is Pansy's?" It would probably be best if Arianwen didn't steal the girl's bed on her first day.

"Oh, Pansy has the bed by the window, so you can have that one." Tracey gestured towards a bed near a large oak wardrobe.

Arianwen pulled her trunk over to it and sat down, looking around slowly. She opened up her trunk and started unpacking a few things, placing them on her bedside table.

"Ooh," Daphne squealed, pointing to a large leather bound book in Arianwen's trunk, "is that a photo album?"

Arianwen laughed and pulled it out, "yeah do you wanna see?" The girls all gathered around her excitedly.

"Wait!" Kathleen interrupted, a grin spreading across her cute little round face, her smile creating dimples on each cheek, "I feel this is calling for pj's and hot chocolate." The rest of the girls cried out with excitement. Ariawen laughed, they really were a bunch of silly girls and secretly, she loved it.

An hour later, the sight in the sixth year girls dormitory was one that you might expect in a teen film. Arianwen was sitting on the floor in a white cotton nightie that had thin pink pinstripes running vertically down it, she had the album open on her lap and the other girls were lying around her, eating sweets, sipping their hot chocolates and giggling at Arianwen's pictures.

The album was currently open on the section with the pictures of Arianwen's friends. The girls were giggling over a picture of Arianwen and Gwyn at the age of fifteen, they'd been dating at the time and Gwyn kept kissing Arianwen on the cheek affectionately.

"Who _is_ he?" Margaret asked breathily, staring at Gwyn, "Is he your boyfriend? He's gorgeous!" The other girls made noises of agreement.

Arianwen laughed, "that's Gwyn, we used to date a while ago but it didn't really work out so we're just friends now."

"Why did you break up? He's so hot! You two would have insane babies." Kathleen said earnestly.

The thought of having babies with Gwyn sent Arianwen into a fit of laughter, "Gwyn would be the funniest dad, he gives zero shits," waiting for her laughter to calm down a bit, Arianwen added, "he was amazing but I got a bit fed up with his wandering eye, he's a bit of a womaniser." The girls nodded in understanding.

"Such cute babies though!" Daphne insisted.

Arianwen laughed again and pretended to throw the album at her, Daphne took it and flipped to the next page. Her face widened in amusement, "No way!" The other girls looked over her shoulder at whichever picture she was staring at.

"Oh my god that's adorable!" Tracey squeaked. Arianwen shuffled closer to Daphne and looked at the open page. It was a picture of her and Blaise when they were little. Arianwen had fallen over in her garden and scraped her hand, she had tears streaming down her face and her lips were trembling. A young Blaise emerged from a flower bed, he was wearing some tiny tailored robes and looked incredibly adorable, his large chocolate eyes full of concern. Blaise then pulled out a lovely purple poppy that he'd picked from the garden and placed it in Arianwen's hair carefully. She stopped crying instantly and beamed at him adoringly, he took her hand and kissed the graze, then pulled her over to a cluster of daisies and they plopped down, making daisy chains happily.

"We have _got_ to show him this!" Daphne leapt up with the album and ran upstairs to the common room, the other girls ran after her, leaving Arianwen chuckling on the floor.

She emerged into the common room to see Daphne throwing the album on Blaise's lap and saying, "look at this picture of you and Arianwen!"

The girls all sat down excitedly amongst the boys, Draco and Pansy had returned from the boys dormitories and Pansy was now seated on his lap, glaring at Arianwen possessively. She hadn't bothered to fix her appearance to hide the fact that they'd clearly just had sex. Her tie was hanging over her shoulders, undone, and the top three buttons of her blouse were open so that you could occasionally see her bra underneath. She looked Arianwen up and down bitchily as she entered, looking at her nightgown in disdain.

Blaise propped himself up against the arm of the sofa and looked and the picture before him. Arianwen planted herself next to him and snuggled up as he put his arm around her. Blaise looked at the picture fondly, he'd forgotten all about that scene. "How old are we here?"

"Um, I'd say about five" Blaise passed the album to Theodore to see, who passed it round to the other boys in turn, it ended with Draco. He looked down at the photo and then over at the two of them snuggled on the sofa together, Arianwen was gently squeezing Blaise's cheek in a playful manner. Blaise noted the distinct look of jealously on his friend's face, and pulled Arianwen's hand away from him. Blaise wasn't the only one who'd seen Draco's expression however, Pansy looked between the two, bitter jealously now evident on her own face.

Arianwen was blissfully unaware of all of this, she was explaining her friendship to the other girls, who were listening and making the appropriate cooing noises where necessary. "He's a keeper, ladies."

The girls giggled and Blaise, saying nothing, raised an eyebrow at Theodore, who smirked creepily.

"We didn't see each other for almost a decade after that," the girls made 'aww' noises and questioned why in unison.

"I'm not sure to be honest," Arianwen said looking confused, "do you remember, hun?" she often used terms of endearment when addressing Blaise.

"I think our parents must have had some fall out," Blaise said thoughtfully, "and then I met her again at one of those boring functions. Caught her trying to smuggle some cake onto the balcony,"

They all laughed, picturing a young, piggy Arianwen trying to sneak around while all the adults droned on about work and new Ministry policies. "Yeah you caught me and then you said you'd tell my father unless I let you eat it!"

Draco arose suddenly, forcing Pansy to jump up, screeching.

"Not that this isn't fun and all," he drawled sarcastically, "but I'm going to bed" and he skulked off to the dormitories moodily.

The others took this as their queue to leave and all started filtering out, wishing each other a good night's sleep as they went.

Arianwen sat up, stretching and yawning. She was definitely ready for some sleep.

"So you managed to get the girls on side then?" Blaise questioned.

"Yeah pretty much," Arianwen stood up, tucking her photo album under her arm, "well apart from Pansy. She seems to hate me already!"

"Ah yes," Blaise chuckled, making his way over to the boys staircase, "its because Draco said that you're hot when you were being sorted and Pansy is pretty obsessed with him."

"Oh right," Arianwen said, feeling a little embarrassed and not knowing what else to say.

"Right, I'm off to bed. Goodnight." With a friendly peck on the cheek, Blaise headed down the staircase to his dormitory.

Arianwen lay awake that night, thinking about what Blaise had said. _Draco thinks I'm hot…is that even a good thing? Shouldn't men think you're beautiful? If he thinks I'm hot then he must not respect me_ , she mused. Her father had always told her that she deserved to be treated like a princess and Arianwen couldn't picture one of the prince's from her fairytales wooing the princess by calling her 'hot'.

There was also the fact that he was happy to sleep around. _Never mind, guys just ruin everything anyway_ , and with that thought, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Arianwen was tucking into a croissant when she heard a flat, low voice say "Gwydion," from behind her. She turned around to see a tall, dark haired man with a hooked nose and small, suspicious eyes.

"I am Professor Snape, the Head of Slytherin House." She smiled at him politely.

"The headmaster has made me aware that you don't have a timetable yet, so we must get you enrolled on your selected N.E.W.T courses as a matter of urgency. Which classes are you interested in?"

Arianwen had researched this over the summer, "I'd like to take Potions, Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Arithmancy, Charms and Alchemy."

Professor Snape looked at her, students needed very good O.W.L scores to be able to take most of those classes.

"Do you know your O.W.L scores?" The other Slytherins were watching curiously, it was always interesting to find out the results of everyone's exams.

"Yes, Professor," she said, still smiling politely, "I had an O in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, History of Potion Making, Applied Transfiguration, History of Magic, and Care of Magical Creatures. I also achieved an E in Charms and Arithmancy."

Snape looked impressed, "you took Potions _and_ History of Potion Making?"

"Yes, Potions was a core subject and I elected to take History of Potion Making to develop an understanding of the ingredients you can use and how to brew and combine them effectively." She sounded quite enthusiastic, Potions was her favourite subject after all.

Snape nodded slowly, he appreciated students that valued theoretical knowledge as much as practical experience, "and Applied Transfiguration, how did that differ to standard Transfiguration in St. Alban's?"

"It was a double award, sir. So I studied the fifth and sixth year syllabus' together. There is quite an emphasis on Transfiguration in Wales, you see."

Snape nodded again, it was refreshing to have a student that actually appeared to enjoy learning in his House, "you have the certification to prove these grades, I trust?"

Arianwen nodded and pulled a scroll from her school bag, she passed it to the professor to study. He unrolled it and checked each grade in turn, rolling the parchment back up, he waved his wand over a blank timetable and passed it to her.

"Very well, it all seems to be in order. You'll observe that I have put you in for Transfiguration with your fellow sixth year students, I shall have to speak to Professor McGonagall to get you moved up to the seventh year class, so you'll have to attend with your classmates for now."

"Wonderful, thank you Professor Snape. I was also wondering if I can pick up an extra curricular activity?"

She heard a snort from behind her and a girl muttered "what a nerd", presumably Pansy. Snape shot her a stern glare and said, "there is nothing wrong with wishing to expand one's mind, Miss Parkinson. Perhaps if you visited the library more often, you would be enrolled in more than four classes."

Arianwen couldn't hide the smirk on her face, when the Professor looked back to her, she felt as though they shared a mutual respect for one another.

"Which extra curricular activity would you like to partake in, Lady Gwydion?"

"Well I recently completed my final round of Mediwizard exams and am now a fully qualified Mediwitch, so I'd like to help the matron in the Hospital Wing, if I may?"

Snape was extremely surprised by this, he thought she was going to ask to join the Frog Choir. "Certainly, yes. I am sure Madam Pomfrey would be grateful for your assistance. I won't add it to your timetable yet, she may have preferred days for you to help. I'll get one of the prefects to escort you there this evening." Snape looked around at the Slytherin table, "Malfoy will take you."

Draco nodded at the professor, attempting to avoid conversing with him. He knew Snape would want to question him about the mission the Dark Lord had assigned him when he took the Dark Mark a few months ago.

"There we are then, that's settled." Snape started to walk away, before turning back and adding, "oh and congratulations on becoming a member of the Slytherin House, I'm sure you'll be an asset to our success." He gave her a thin lipped smile and walked back to the teacher's table.

Arianwen looked over to Draco, trying to work out whether he minded having to escort her to the Hospital Wing that even. He seemed to sense her gaze upon him as he looked up, misinterpreting her morals, he shot her a seductive wink and smirked boyishly.

She looked away in disgust. _Ucgh. What an idot._

* * *

 _Later that evening…_

Arianwen looked around the entrance hall. Draco had said he'd meet her there after dinner but it was now ten past seven and he was still nowhere to be seen, he hadn't been at dinner either.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around; Draco looked worn out, it looked as though he'd been running his hands through his hair as it'd gone a bit wild and disheveled. She was pleased to see that his demeanor had completely changed from the arrogance he'd displayed that morning.

"Sorry I'm late," he did look genuinely apologetic.

She smiled at him kindly and said softly, "that's alright. Thanks for agreeing to take me."

He hadn't really had a choice but he nodded anyway, and started leading her out into the grounds. It was a warm evening and the sun had just started to set, illuminating the sky with warm shades of dusky pink and amber.

Draco seemed quiet; he was staring straight in front of him, lost in calculated thoughts. Arianwen decided to strike up conversation, "so what have you been up to today? I haven't seen you since breakfast."

He looked at her with glazed eyes, before shaking his head and returning to the present moment, "oh uh…I was in the library," he waved his right hand casually, his left firmly planted in his pocket, "you know, research…"

She _didn't_ know, but decided not to press it. He was allowed privacy if he wanted it.

They fell silent again, walking along a path that was leading to the quad, a large courtyard encasing two towers.

"Look," Arianwen started, "I just wanted to say sorry for what I said to Theodore," she paused again, biting her lip nervously, "about his father."

She saw his jaw tighten, his cool grey eyes fixed on the path in front of him. "What of it?" his was flat, not wanting to give away any emotion.

"Well," she was regretting her decision to bring up the topic, "I heard about your father," she spoke softly, "in Azkaban."

His jaw tightened again, accentuating its strong lines. He was leading her up a wide, winding staircase in the tower opposite the one housing the large clock face.

Draco remained silent for a while before speaking flatly, "its fine."

She reached and grabbed his left forearm to force him to stop walking, he winced slightly as he turned around to face her.

"No its not," she stepped up so they were on the same level, "I just felt like he was mocking me so I got all defensive. I really didn't mean to offend you." She was staring at him with wide-eyed innocence, her large green eyes looking genuinely upset by the situation.

He laughed exasperatedly, "I know you didn't, that's why I didn't say anything."

She carried on gazing at him with that terribly cute sad face. "I'm really sorry, I know it must be horrible for you."

He felt his stomach sink, it had ben hard. He looked down at her and felt himself smiling, she looked like an incredibly sad puppy that had been left on its own for the first time. "Stop looking at me like that!"

She pouted. "No seriously stop it, I can't be mad at that face!" He held his hand up, trying to mask her face from view.

"Then don't be mad!" She jumped up behind it playfully and they both started laughing.

"Right, come on. We're almost there." She felt her stomach whoosh as he placed a hand at the centre of her back, leading her up the stairs to the Hospital Wing on the fourth floor.

Draco pushed the doors to the Hospital Wing open for Arianwen, who stared around as she entered. It was a large, light room, lined with huge windows looking out onto the grounds. There were five or six hospital beds lining the two longest walls. It was incredibly busy. There must have been some incident involving a mass of first year students as they all seemed to be covered in a mixture of painful red boils, disgusting yellow puss, and oddly…sardines. One girl had even sprouted several sets of tiny, flapping wings.

The matron looked up when she heard Arianwen and Draco enter, she stopped dabbing a young boy with an ointment covered cloth and made her way over to them.

"Mr Malfoy," she greeted, nodding at him courteously.

"Good evening Madam Pomfrey," Draco replied politely, "Professor Snape asked me to accompany Lady Gwydion to your office, she's hear to assist you with your…" he looked around the room, sneering, "…patients."

"Ah yes." Madam Pomfrey said, her gaze now resting on Arianwen. "I had your old headmaster send over your certificates. A very impressive achievement for a witch of your age," she smiled and extended her hand to Arianwen. "I'm Madam Pomfrey, the matron here at Hogwarts."

Arianwen smiled brightly, "I'm Arianwen," she shook the matron's hand delicately. "I'd love to help out if I may? Of course, if it'll be a hindrance to you then I understand if you'd rather I didn't, but I promise I don't need constant supervision!"

Madam Pomfrey smiled at her motheringly, "yes dear, I've heard that you're quite capable. I could actually use some assistance this evening if you don't mind? Some of the Gryffindor boys decided it would be funny to hex the first years as they were being shown around the castle." Her face changed to complete irritation at the thought of the Gryffindor boys creating extra work for her.

"Poor dears." She said shaking her head.

"I'd love to help!" Arianwen said enthusiastically.

"Wonderful!" Madam Pomfrey clapped her hands together. "Perhaps if you start with the winged girl over there, I'll come and check on you later."

Arianwen nodded in agreement and Madam Pomfrey rushed back to the boy she'd been treating, his boils expanding rapidly.

Arianwen turned to Draco, "thanks for showing me the way, I should be able to find my own way back now."

"That's alright," he said smiling at her mischievously, "I'll stick around for a bit, gotta see the genius girl at work."

She shoved his arm playfully, "come on then."

He watched her as she greeted the young winged girl, she seemed to instantly warm to Arianwen and sat on the bed obediently while Arianwen examined her.

"Right then Hattie, I should be able to get this cleared up for you in a few minutes, I just need to put an apron on okay?"

"Okay!" The girl squeaked, smiling at Arianwen adoringly. She returned a few moments later with her hair pulled into a low bun, the shorter front sections framing her face loosely. She'd taken her robes off and pulled a white medic's apron over her school uniform, the chest emblazoned with the school crest.

Draco leant on the wall by the girl's bed, watching as Arianwen moved her wand over the wings slowly, muttering incantations under her breath. The first set of wings disappeared in an instant.

"There we are," Arianwen smiled gently at the girl, "one down, seven more to go."

The girl looked relieved and started to explain what had happened as Arianwen worked on the rest of the wings. By the time she'd finished, the little girl looked quite tearful, worried that she would be a target for the older students.

Arianwen sat next to her and rubbed her back in slow circular motions, "now now Hattie, don't worry. They were just being mean boys," Draco snorted, "but they'll be distracted with classes soon and if anyone tries to do this again, you just point them in my direction, okay?"

The girl nodded, sniffing. Arianwen pulled out her wand and produced a soft cotton handkerchief for her, the girl took it gratefully and blew her nose.

"Here," Arianwen said, picking up an empty tissue box from the side table nearest Hattie's bed. She pointed her wand at the box, then waived it jaggedly to the right, the box instantly transfigured into a large bar of milk chocolate, the girl gaped in awe. "Have a nibble on that, it'll make you feel better."

Arianwen was filling out the girl's chart after she left, her hair falling from behind her ear and into her face. She paused when she realised Draco was still watching her and looked up.

"Very good," he drawled, "she was practically fawning over you."

Arianwen smiled softly, "yes well, a little kindness goes a long way." Draco surveyed her, he didn't know what to make of this girl. She had gone from being innocent and cute to hungover and snappy, then changed to cool and almost superior…then back to innocent and cute. _And now she's gone all warm and motherly_ , he thought confusedly.

Whichever way he looked at it, Draco had to admit that he was incredibly intrigued by Arianwen; he found himself wanting to know more about her. He could tell from her reaction to his cheap seduction tactics at breakfast, that she would be a tough nut to crack…but he was very willing to give it a go.


	5. Chapter Five: Hogsmeade

**Chapter Five: Hogsmeade**

Arianwen was sitting patiently at an empty desk in a small, round classroom in the dungeons. She was waiting for Professor Slughorn to arrive, to deliver the first Alchemy class of the term. The first week of October had just begun, there had been a delay in the commencement of the course as all the students who had expressed an interest in studying Alchemy had been contacted to gather an idea of demand for the class and their suitability for it. Professor Slughorn had announced that he would be happy to teach the course if there was a group of five or more capable students wishing to take it. Professor Snape had approached Arianwen in the Great Hall one evening in September to advise that a class of six students had elected to take the course, and gave her a list of supplies that she would need to acquire before the course began.

"Good afternoon, class!" Professor Slughorn entered the room and looked around at his students jovially, "I am most looking forward to teaching a class of keen young alchemists but uh…" he paused, surveying the students in confusion. There were three Ravenclaws: Michael Corner, Anthony Goldstein and Su Li, one Hufflepuff boy called Kevin Entwhistle, and Arianwen. "We appear to be missing someone-"

At that moment, the door to the classroom flew open and in rushed a puffed out Draco Malfoy, "sorry I'm late Professor, lost track of time."

Draco spotted Arianwen and took the empty seat next to her, she smiled at him looking a little surprised by his presence in the class. Alchemy was considered a difficult option to take for N.E. , and many people considered it the 'mad workings of gluttonous eccentrics '. _Draco is clever though_ , she thought, remembering how he'd been able to cast non-verbal spells in all of the classes she shared with him; Arianwen had only ever tried to cast non-verbal spells in Transfiguration, it took a lot of discipline and concentration to achieve.

"That's quite alright Mr Malfoy," then addressing the class again Slughorn said, "now, did you all manage to get hold of the supplies that I requested?"

The students all nodded in unison, pulling their textbook and chemistry sets out of their bags and onto the empty tables in front of them.

"Good!" Professor Slughorn exclaimed, picking up Michael Corner's textbook and holding it up to the class, "You may recognise the author from your Potions textbook, for those of you in my N.E.W.T class, that is." Anthony Goldstein blushed, he was the only student in the room that hadn't made it into the sixth year Potions class.

"Libatius Borage was a keen potion-maker and alchemist alike, you should find this book will give you a good grounding from which you'll gain an intermediate understating of the subject before expanding into further research."

Slughorn gave Michael his book back and instructed them all to turn to the first chapter. "By the end of your sixth year, I would expect you all to be able to transmute led and other substances into gold." There was a buzz of excitement from the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuff boy.

Draco caught Arianwen's eye and rolled his eyes at her, shaking his head slightly. She smiled, understanding his exasperation; they were both rich enough that the creation of gold didn't phase them.

Professor Slughorn noticed the exchange between the two Slytherins and addressed them, "Does the transmutation of basic metals into more valuable ones not interest you?"

Arianwen spoke first, "I'm more interested in the potential healing substances that can be created through alchemy, sir."

Slughorn chuckled, "ah yes of course, I heard from Madam Pomfrey that you're a qualified Mediwitch and you've been assisting her in the Hospital Wing?"

"Yes Professor, Madam Pomfrey has kindly given up some of her time to assist me in my goal to become a Healer."

"Mmm indeed, she seems quite dazzled by your capabilities. You'll have to come along to the next Slug Club gathering so we can discuss it further." He seemed keen for her to accept this invitation, smiling at her persuasively.

"Thank you Professor, that would be quite lovely." She said smiling charmingly.

Draco snorted next to her, "you'll be giving Potter and Granger a run for their money at this rate," he drawled queitly, implying she was teacher's pet. She frowned at him in annoyance, _it's not my fault I was raised to be courteous_ , she thought moodily.

Slughorn ordered them to remove a few rose petals from their chemistry sets and showed them how to transfigure them into different metals. He'd advised that they would have to start out slowly, mastering the transfiguration element of basic alchemy first, before moving on to the dissolution and congelation of the metals.

As they were practicing, Draco and Arianwen chatted about the first Quidditch match of the season, due to take place in November. Throughout her first month at Hogwarts, Arianwen had had multiple opportunities to get to know Draco and the other Slytherins better. She'd become quite friendly with him, finding that his quick wit and snappy retorts made him quite engaging company.

She was unaware that Draco had actually engineered some of these meetings by bribing people away from her in the library, and escorting her from the Hospital Wing if she'd stayed after curfew. Being a prefect, Draco also had access to the prefects bathroom on the floor above the Hospital Wing, so would pop in on occasion to watch her at work. He found her to be a calming influence on him; she would laugh heartily at his jokes, bring him cups of tea if he came back to the common room late in the evening, and tell him stories of her friends and family from Wales. If he looked like he was flagging when working on essays, she would provide insightful comments or point him to a useful book.

"So is it difficult? Being a seeker?"

Draco had completely zoned out. Attempting to look as though he'd been invested in the conversation the whole time, he nodded and smiled, pointing his wand at the rose petals, which remained lifeless on the table.

"Draco! Have you listened to anything that I just said?" Arianwen looked irritated.

"Uh...yeah. We were talking about Quidditch, right?"

She sighed, "ucgh, never mind. What's up with you recently, anyway? You seem so distracted."

He shrugged, he was obviously not about to start explaining the difficulties of repairing a broken vanishing glass cabinet while having Snape breathing down his neck and reporting back to the Dark Lord. "I didn't realise I was, sorry." It was very unauthentic, "I'm just tired I guess."

Arianwen's face softened, he did look worn out. Dark circles had started to form under his eyes, which looked weary and troubled.

"Well as your new school nurse, I would suggest you get more sleep," he rolled his eyes, "but I'm assuming that's not an option for whatever reason. So I'll brew you a wide-eyed potion."

"A wide-eyed potion?" Draco questioned.

"Yeah it takes away the effects of sleep deprivation, so you won't get headaches or drowsiness, and you'll look like you've had a good nights sleep." She smiled at him kindly, feeling helpful.

"So it doesn't make you feel more awake?" although she was trying to help, he didn't really understand the point of the potion.

"No it doesn't make you feel more awake, I don't like those types of potions, they have bad side effects if overused. It just makes you feel neutral, so you're not tired but you're not buzzing with energy either."

Draco nodded, tilting his head in confusion as he looked at her, "why are you so kind?"

Arianwen laughed, it was an odd sort of thing to ask, "I just don't like seeing my friends all stressed out."

 _Her friends,_ he thought bitterly. Draco had a very different relationship with Arianwen than he'd had with other girls. Pansy, for instance, was very reactive to every little thing that he did, so if he stopped paying attention to her for more than five minutes, she would whine loudly and insist he made it up to her. This generally involved the two of them in a deserted classroom, taking part in a range of sexual exploits. _It could be worse,_ he thought smugly.

While Pansy could be extremely annoying and clingy at times, she provided a quick and easy way to blow off some steam, and he was struggling to gauge whether Arianwen regarded him as just a friend, or if she was interested in more. He'd been attempting to test the waters, flirting with her casually, he knew he couldn't be much more obvious about it or she'd think he was a creep. While Arianwen would always play along, she never seemed to initiate anything, and would always cuddle up to Blaise in the evenings. Sometimes she would kiss his cheek or rest her head on his chest, always going on about how wonderful he was to the other girls…it absolutely infuriated him, normally girls would fall at his feet the moment he showed an interest. He deduced that he'd have to test her somehow…

* * *

Alchemy had been their last class of the day. Draco didn't fancy working on the vanishing cabinet that night as he was getting absolutely nowhere with it, he decided he'd have to do more research on it in the library. _At least I have a back up plan_ , he reassured himself, thinking of a cursed necklace that he'd bought in Borgin and Burke's that summer.

He realised that he hadn't said a word to Arianwen since they'd left the classroom.

"Are you looking forward to visiting Hogsmeade this weekend?" he asked, making her jump, she'd clearly been deep in thought as well.

"Yeah definitely, it'll be nice to have a change of scene. Blaise said he'd take me to the pub that everyone goes on about." She smiled excitedly.

 _Of course he did_ , Draco thought bitterly.

"You should come with us," Arianwen prompted, fixing him with that pretty smile she did.

Draco shook his head, he didn't fancy being a third wheel, "Nah its okay, I said I'd take Pansy to Honeydukes, she wants me to buy her something."

Arianwen's stomach dropped, trying to remain cool she said, "Can't she buy her own sweets?"

Draco smirked, "I assume she can, yes. I owe her though, apparently."

"You owe her? For what?"

"Well apparently I've been spending far too much time with you…"

Arianwen looked at him, he was smirking, his grey eyes sparkling mischievously, "we hardly spend any time together, just classes and the occasional five minutes in the common room or the library." She countered, sounding annoyed.

His smirk grew, taking two large strides, he flipped round and stood in front of her, leaning against the wall so she had to stop, "and does that bother you?" He moved closer, his gaze not breaking from her own.

She shifted awkwardly, it did bother her that Pansy was trying to stop Draco spending any time with her whatsoever, but even more annoying was the fact that he already spent most of his available time with Pansy anyway.

Their bodies were almost touching now, she could feel the warmth coming from his chest, she blinked a few times and composed herself. "I'm more bothered that you listen to her." She said, frowning up at him.

Annoyingly, he seemed to find her cross face endearing as he laughed, leaning closer still. "I don't listen to Pansy. I don't spend more time with you because you're always with Blaise."

Arianwen gulped, she could feel her heart beating incredibly fast, their bodies were touching now, "oh…I see," she was barely speaking above a whisper, "then maybe I should…free up some more time." She felt her face warming as Draco smiled at her handsomely, he seemed to be becoming more and more attractive the closer he got.

Draco reached out and brushed her hair behind her ear, his hand lingering behind her head, "I think that would be a very good idea," he whispered, leaning in and kissing her softly on the cheek.

Her stomach whooshed; she felt her hands move to his chest, their eyes locked on each other. She leant in closer, her heart pounding, and then-

"Malfoy!" footsteps were moving down the corridor quickly, Arianwen felt Draco sigh before he straightened up and turned around.

"Yes, Professor Snape?" he drawled, sounding bored.

Snape looked angry, his dark eyes were boring into Draco's accusingly. Arianwen shuffled and Snape's eyes snapped to hers. Snape twigged what had been going on instantly, he looked back at Draco, raising an eyebrow sternly.

"You were supposed to be in my office ten minutes ago." Snape snapped.

Draco didn't look phased in the least, "my apologies Professor."

"Come along then." Snape ordered, and started walking back down the corridor they had just come from.

Draco squeezed Arianwen's arm gently, "I'll see you later, okay?"

She nodded, still speechless. He caught up with Professor Snape and they rounded the corner, heading to his office.

Arianwen stood still for a few minutes, trying to gather her thoughts. _I'll have to tell Blaise_ , she thought, he'd know what to do.

* * *

When she found Blaise in the common room, Arianwen waived him over and they left again, heading out of the castle and down to the lake.

After they'd settled themselves on a bench overlooking the lake, Blaise raised his eyebrows at her, "so?" he prompted, "was there something you wanted to discuss?"

Arianwen proceeded to tell him about the events that had just unfolded, she was surprised to see a small smirk appear on his face.

After she'd finished her story, Blaise paused before asking, "you like him then, I assume?"

Arianwen sighed, she didn't like liking guys, it was so distracting and she already had enough to be dealing with. Owain had sent her a letter reporting that her uncle had been overheard with a group of crooked lawyers, demanding that they find a way to allow him to inherit his brother's title and assets. He seemed to think that it wouldn't be long before her uncle would threaten her financial stability too. She looked at the lake, it seemed so tranquil but every now and then a strange creature would leap out and disturb the water.

"I suppose I must do," she looked back at Blaise, "but he seems a bit like Gwyn and I don't really fancy going through all of that again."

Blaise nodded thoughtfully, "yeah I would urge you to be wary of him. I can certainly tell that he's interested in you, and he definitely doesn't like our dynamic," Blaise chuckled to himself, he liked causing a stir, "and he's involved with some…dangerous people."

Arianwen frowned, her nose wrinkling in confusion, "how dangerous are we talking here?"

Blaise looked at her seriously, "the _most_ dangerous."

He was talking about the Death Eaters, but surely Draco couldn't be that involved with them, what would they want from a schoolboy? His father had been exposed as a Death Eater over the summer, maybe that's what Blaise meant.

"He's not, you know, one of _them_ …is he?"

Blaise just shrugged in a non-committal fashion. "No idea," he lied.

* * *

Blaise and Arianwen were wandering through Hogsmeade, he'd been asking about Brianne so Arianwen was recounting the latest update she'd received from her oldest friend. A new pet shop had opened in the village so Blaise steered her over to it to investigate. It seemed they weren't the only ones who wanted to check out the new shop, it was full of students of a mix of ages, the girls all gathered around the cat house. Arianwen wondered why they were all so obsessed with the cats but then noticed a sign stating '3 week old kittens for sale', that would explain it.

Blaise left her to go and browse the reptile section, while Arianwen made her way over to a number of owls, hooting in their cages.

One particular owl caught Arianwen's eye immediately. It was a large Snowy Owl that was standing on its perch regally, its deep amber eyes fixed on hers.

"Hello," Arianwen said softly, looking down she spotted his nametag, "Archimedes." The owl hooted and hopped closer to her, signaling that it wanted to be petted. She slid her hand through the bars of the cage and stroked the owl's chest softly.

"Aren't you just exquisite?" The owl nibbled her finger affectionately, his striking speckled eyes seeming to glow softly.

"Made a new friend?" Came a familiar voice from behind her, she turned her head to smile at Draco.

"Isn't he bewitching?" she asked rhetorically, turning her attention back to the bird.

Draco moved closer to the cage and examined the owl slowly, "he _is_ probably the nicest Snowy Owl I've seen," Draco agreed.

"Archimedes," Arianwen said again softly, giving the bird one last stroke before removing her hand.

The owl hooted again, "I don't think he wants you to leave." Draco laughed.

Arianwen looked for the price tag. '50 galleons' it read. Her stomach sank in disappointment; she'd only brought 5 galleons with her.

Draco seemed to sense her disappointment, "do you want him?"

"I do need an owl," she said distractedly, still staring into Archimedes' eyes, "but I didn't bring enough money and I'm pretty sure my uncle is trying to cut me off, so I probably wouldn't buy him anyway."

"Well then I'll buy him for you, you seem quite taken with him." Arianwen turned to look at Draco.

"I can't let you do that!" she said looking shocked, "its too much!"

"It's not too much," Draco said quietly, "besides I'd rather that then have to see your little devastated face when you have to leave him."

She smiled, unsure of what she'd done to deserve such kindness. She was dangerously close to accepting when Pansy Parkinson emerged and wrapped her arm seductively around Draco's waist, "what are you looking at baby? Lets go to Madam Puddifoot's after this" she simpered.

Draco pushed her arm away, looking a little guiltily at Arianwen. Pansy followed Draco's gaze and glowered when she saw the blonde girl, "what's _she_ doing here?"

They both ignored her; Draco saw a hurt look flash over Arianwen's face and felt his heart sink. He should've told her that he had no feelings for Pansy, he was just honouring his promise to take her to Hogsmeade. The look lasted just a few seconds before she'd arranged her face into a look of cool disdain.

"Ri," he said, stepping forward, "it's not-"

"Blaise!" Arianwen called, interrupting Draco, she didn't want to hear his excuses. Blaise appeared and looked between his three classmates, instantly feeling the tension.

"Are you ready to go?" Arianwen stared at him meaningfully.

"Yeah I'm done, lets go." He took her arm and they marched out of the shop purposefully. She felt a wave of disappointment crash over her, not only had she had to leave Archimedes, she'd had to watch Pansy cosy up to Draco on what was evidently a date. _Who knows what they'll get up to behind my back_ , she thought miserably.

Blaise led her into the famous Three Broomsticks pub, and they sat down at a little rickety table. He went to the bar to get some butterbeers and Arianwen took in her surroundings. It was very busy, the clusters of eclectic tables and chairs full of chattering witches and wizards.

"Here." Blaise said about five minutes later, passing her a butterbeer and taking a seat opposite her. "What was that all about?" he asked, but before she could answer she heard the bell above the door ringing and Draco entered with Pansy close behind him.

Pansy saw them first, smirking at Arianwen, she grabbed Draco's face in both hands and forced him into a disgustingly wet looking kiss.

"See for yourself," Arianwen said, pointing over Blaise's shoulder. He turned to see the spectacle by the door.

"Ah…I see." He said awkwardly. After more than a few moments, Draco pushed Pansy away. He instantly spotted Arianwen and Blaise watching them and nodded awkwardly.

Arianwen looked away in disgust; Blaise caught Draco's eye and shot him an unimpressed glare before turning back to Arianwen.

"So where shall we go next?" She said, smiling as if nothing had happened.

"Ri-" Blaise started.

"No, Blaise. We're going to forget about it and move on." She held her chin high, signaling that the subject was closed. "Millicent said there's an apothecary here somewhere?"

She wouldn't allow the issue to affect her, Governess Matthews had taught her to compartmentalise; " _dignified pureblooded witches will not allow any insult or undesirable situation to visibly affect them. It is a sign of weakness, and you are certainly not weak, Lady Arianwen."_


	6. Chapter Six: Revelations

**Chapter Six: Revelations**

"How are you getting on, dear?" Madam Pomfrey asked, watching as Arianwen healed a deep gash on a seventh year Gryffindor's arm. The boy had foolishly managed to get on the wrong side of Antaeus Carrow, a Slytherin in the same year who spent most of his time attempting dark hexes.

"Oh hi Poppy," Arianwen smiled, looking away from the wound, "its being a bit of a pig actually, keeps reopening" she admitted, frowning as she surveyed the boy's bleeding arm, she'd given him a tonic so he wouldn't feel anything.

"Not to be rude," the Gryffindor boy started awkwardly, "but couldn't you do it, Madam Pomfrey?"

Arianwen raised an eyebrow at the boy coolly but Madam Pomfrey spoke before she had the chance. "Actually McClaggen, Arianwen specialised in healing ailments and injuries caused by dark magic when doing her Mediwitch qualifications."

McClaggen looked confused, "riiiight…so are you saying that she's more qualified at this than you?"

"In this area, yes; I specialised as a general practitioner, you should be grateful that she's here to help you or I may have ended up sending you to St. Mungo's." The witch said sternly.

"The difficulty is identifying which hex he used on you," Arianwen explained patiently, "Did you hear him say it aloud?"

The boy shook his head, "I heard him shout it at me but it didn't sound like anything I've heard before."

"Can you describe it to me?" She asked intently, brow furrowed.

"Uh…it was a bit like 'sek-tri' something, I'm not sure."

Arianwen nodded, suddenly understanding, "'sectarius' perhaps?"

The boy looked astonished, "yes! Yes that's it!"

"You're lucky that he missed then," she said, her nose wrinkling at the thought of the spell's real use.

"Lucky?! To have this massive great gash on my arm?" McClaggen exclaimed in horror, "What would've happened if he hadn't missed then?"

Arianwen had to take a second to prepare her next sentence, she wanted remain professional, "that particular hex is designed to…castrate."

McClaggen's face whitened visibly, "that PRICK!" he shouted, "I'll have him for that!"

Arianwen moved her wand along the boy's arm, a strong yellow light seeming to weld the skin back together. Once she'd finished she looked back at McClaggen, "I would strongly advise that you choose to do nothing" she couldn't hide a flicker of amusement any longer, "unless you're willing to risk…" she tailed off, the meaning behind her words evident.

* * *

The following evening, the sixth year Slytherins were all tucking into the hearty Halloween feast, discussing the days events and what entertainment Dumbledore had planned for the evening.

It was the first meal that Arianwen had noticed Draco attend in quite some weeks. She had six of her seven classes with him so avoiding him was quite impossible but she'd got by on minimal eye contact and conversation fairly successfully. He'd tried to talk to her about the events in Hogsmeade on a few occasions but each time she would make a lame excuse and hurry off. _He hasn't tried at all this week_ , she thought, _clearly he's given up_. That thought didn't bring the relief she'd hoped though, in fact she just felt more miserable.

She watched him as he spoke in hushed tones to Crabbe and Goyle, the three of them breaking out into snide laughter every now and then, they definitely seemed to be planning something. Pansy, who was sitting next to Draco as always, noticed Arianwen's gaze and smirked cruelly at her. She started playing with Draco's hair, moving closer, she wrapped her arms around his neck and started whispering in his ear, pushing her relatively flat chest into him. The other Slytherin girls were all watching Draco and Pansy as well, and when Arianwen turned back to them she was met with a mix of sympathetic faces.

"Has he tried to speak to you about it yet?" Kathleen asked quietly.

She shook her head, "no not for a while, I was actually ready to speak to him about it as well, until-" she gestured to the sickening scene to her left.

"She really shouldn't rub your face in it," Tracey said softly, looking at Arianwen as if she expected her to run off crying at any second.

"He was technically with Pansy first though," Margaret argued, she was probably the only one of them that actually liked Pansy, the others had just hung out with her for fear of being made the outcast of the group if they didn't.

"Oh please," Millicent piped up, "they've never been _together_ , he just puts up with her because she throws herself at him. It's not Ri's fault that Pansy knew him first!"

"Thanks Mills," Arianwen smiled at her appreciatively. She liked Millicent, she was always straightforward and genuine.

After everyone had stuffed themselves with the main courses, the long tables in the Great Hall cleared and a mass of Halloween-themed desserts appeared. Arianwen helped herself to: a chocolate lava cake, which when cut open, leaked hot blood-coloured chocolate sauce; a toffee apple; and a slice of crumbly brown short-crust pumpkin pie.

Daphne looked at her in horror, "you're surely not going to eat all of that, are you?"

Arianwen laughed, swallowing a bite of toffee apple. "Why do you think I had salad for dinner while you were all stocking up on carbs? Dessert is life."

She started telling them about the best cake she'd ever eaten, it was a red velvet cake from a charming little patisserie in the heart of Paris, overlooking the Seine. Before she could go into any more detail about this heavenly experience, she was interrupted by a small cough.

Turning her head, she saw Cormac McClaggen standing confidently beside their table.

He fixed her with a wide, toothy smile; it looked as though he'd spent a long time rehearsing it in front of a mirror. "Lady Arianwen," he said importantly, "Professor Slughorn requested that I give you this." He held out a thin newsletter and she took it, glancing at the front page.

It was a newsletter for the Slug Club, an exclusive club that Professor Slughorn had insisted she join. The title on the front page read, 'Six New Members!' She looked back at McClaggen and smiled politely, "thank you." He didn't leave.

"So uh…I just wanted to thank you for patching me up the other day," even with all his confidence, having the glares of all the Slytherins upon him was off-putting.

"You're welcome. May I see?" She stood up to inspect his arm.

"Of course," he said, pulling up his sleeve for her to inspect. She ran a finger down his arm, pushing slightly so that his skin turned white briefly. She took his other arm without speaking, pushing the sleeve up and comparing them side-by-side.

She could see Draco watching them from the corner of her eye but continued as if she were unaware. "Hmm…its healing nicely but I think you could do with one more dose of that blood replenishment potion I gave you yesterday, your colouring is still a little off."

"Ah I see, and how should I get that?"

"Just come and see me in the Hospital Wing tomorrow, I'll be there between four and seven thirty in the evening," she smiled at him warmly.

"Okay great, I will do." He smiled at her gratefully before adding, "I'm sorry about uh…" he cleared his throat, "doubting you in there, I just didn't-"

"I know," she said kindly, placing a hand on his arm gently to silence him, "yes Carrow did quite the number on you." She spoke slightly louder so that Carrow would hear them.

Carrow sneered at McClaggen evilly, his gaunt face giving him the appearance of a madman, "come back for more have you?" he hissed, "it's a pity that _her Ladyship_ new how to fix you."

Arianwen ignored his taunt but McClaggen drew his wand immediately, pointing it directly at Carrow's heart. Before he could do anything that he'd regret, Arianwen held her hand up, blocking his wand, "Cormac," she said calmly, "what did I tell you?"

He looked at her, then back at Carrow, then back to her patient, steadfast gaze, "fine." He said eventually, "I'll see you tomorrow." He turned and walked quickly back to the safety of the Gryffindor confines.

Arianwen sat back down and picked up the newsletter, ignoring everyone's stares, she started reading the first article but hadn't got far before Pansy's high-pitched drone broke the silence.

"Are you trying to discredit us all by running around with blood traitors?"

Arianwen drew her eyes from the page extremely slowly, as though it were some great effort to look at her.

She spoke in a cool, lazy drawl, "Oh Pansy, you and your _opinions_ ," it was hard not to look at Draco, she wanted to know what he was thinking, "I'd hardly call Cormac a 'blood traitor', he is pureblooded is he not?"

"Well yes but he's a Gryffindor. Have you no loyalty to your House?"

"Evidently not." She hissed sarcastically, she could tell that Pansy was struggling to tell if she was joking or not.

"You should be ashamed-" Pansy shrieked but Arianwen held up a lazy hand to stop her. They'd attracted the attention of some of the other tables now, the Hall around them seemed to hush, listening intently.

"Pansy," she said lifting the Slug Club newsletter for her to see, "what does this say?" she pointed to a word on the page.

"It's a six?" Pansy said, looking bewildered by the sudden change in conversation.

"Correct. And can you square that number?"

Pansy became instantly flustered, not understanding the question. Arianwen sighed in exasperation and started reading the newsletter again.

"What is six times six?" she rephrased.

"Uh…" Pansy paused, completely baffled, "36?"

"Yes. Now divide that by the original number." Arianwen commanded calmly, eyes still firmly planted on the newsletter.

"Six?" Pansy squeaked.

"Now subtract the original number."

"Um…zero?" Pansy questioned uncertainly.

"Yes," Arianwen said like a teacher whose student had finally understood a basic point she had made, "you're right, that is precisely the number of fucks I give about your opinion."

There was a smattering of laughter from the Slytherins and surrounding tables, many people made 'ooh' and 'ahh' noises, making Pansy blush with embarrassment.

Arianwen flicked through the newsletter, still not making eye contact with Pansy. She heard her huff loudly and whine at Draco, "Dracie! Are you really gonna let her speak to me like that?"

It was a struggle to not look up to see Draco's response.

"You can fight your own battles," Draco said dismissively.

Pansy huffed again loudly, "Fine! Then you can forget that thing I promised you!"

"Okay." He sounded completely unphased by her threat.

Arianwen couldn't stop herself from smiling slightly, _maybe he hasn't given up quite yet_.

* * *

 _One week later…_

Blaise and Arianwen were making their way back from one of Professor Slughorn's Slug Club dinners, laughing merrily as they reenacted a scene from earlier in the evening where Cormac McClaggen was trying to seduce Hermione Granger over his sundae.

When they arrived at the Slytherin common room, they weren't surprised to see the majority of their fellow Slytherins still awake and socialising. Most people would stay up late on Saturdays, mixing with students in other year groups.

They wandered over to their usual area of the common room and sat amongst their friends; Blaise with Draco, Crabbe and Goyle; and Arianwen with the sixth year girls and Daphne's little sister, Astoria.

Daphne and Astoria both looked very similar, they each had mid-length glossy dark hair, pale skin and deep brown eyes. Both girls were quite pretty but Daphne had an air of sophistication that the other girl hadn't yet mastered. The sisters both got a fair amount of interest from guys, something that clearly bothered Pansy, who often felt the need to dress revealingly to remain centre of attention.

The sisters were telling the other girls about how obsessed their mother had become with arranging their engagements.

"She tried to set me up with this guy from Durmstrang," Daphne explained while her sister giggled, "apparently his family own a bank or something."

"But when he showed up he couldn't speak a word of English." Daphne had to stop, unable to control her laughter.

"And he couldn't pronounce my mum's name," Astoria giggled, Daphne snorted loudly, her eyes starting to fill with tears, "her name's Pharnine, but all he could manage was 'Fanny'! And when she didn't respond, he would just say 'FANNY' even louder, he was practically screaming by the end of it! Mum was mortified!"

The girls all howled with immature laughter. Daphne had tears running down her face, picturing the moment as the boy was in the room. They were laughing so loudly that they hadn't heard Antaeus Carrow trying to address Arianwen.

Arianwen's laughter faded to a chuckle and she wiped a few tears from her eyes, "…sorry, what did you say?"

Antaeus didn't look amused in the slightest, Arianwen was quite taken aback to see him glaring creepily at her, his wand pointed at her head.

"What on earth do you think you're-" Arianwen started.

"So you've been whoring around with the blood traitor, McClaggen, have you?"

Arianwen looked completely surprised, temporarily forgetting that he had his wand pointing at her while she was entirely unarmed.

She laughed at the ridiculousness of the question, "what are you on about?!"

"I saw you in the Hospital Wing unbuttoning his shirt like some kind of mudblood _slut_ " he hissed, "its time you learned what happens to traitors in this House."

Arianwen stood immediately so that she was on the same eye level as Antaeus, who was only a few inches taller than her.

"I _had_ to unbutton his shirt," she hissed, "because he had burns on his back that I had to treat, burns that _you_ put there." She glared at him but he sneered, her lack of a wand making her look weak.

"And what of your intimate meal this evening?"

Arianwen looked around at Blaise, gesturing in disbelief, "is this guy on fuckin' acid or something?" her anger causing her South-Walian accent to become much more prominent.

"She was with me all evening you fool." Blaise said firmly, "It was a dinner with Slughorn. So why don't you put your wand down and get your facts straight."

Antaeus sneered, his wand still firmly pointed at Arianwen's chest.

"Do it," she hissed, stepping closer to the wand, her eyes flashing menacingly, "go on I dare you. " But before he had the chance, his wand had flown out of his hand and Draco caught it.

"Sit down, Carrow." Draco said venomously, his wand pressed between Antaeus' shoulder blades.

The boy whipped around to face Draco. "Don't test me," Draco hissed, he was taller and stronger than Antaeus, towering over him threateningly with his wand still outstretched. Arianwen stared at Draco - he looked alarmingly hostile.

"Just because you're the Dark Lord's new play thing, doesn't mean you can threaten me, Malfoy."

Draco flourished his wand immediately and Carrow flew backwards, slamming into the wall at the far end of the common room. There was a loud crack and he slid down the wall, unconscious.

"Draco!" Arianwen exclaimed in horror, she ran over to Antaeus and examined him, blood was pouring from a large injury at the back of his head.

"You've cracked his skull!" She shouted, Draco hadn't moved, everyone in the common room was staring open mouthed.

She summoned her wand and started muttering incantations feverishly, there was a horrible crunching sound as his skull reconnected. Arianwen heard the door to the common room, she looked back to where Draco had been standing…he'd gone.

"Blaise!" Arianwen summoned urgently, she was already on her way to the exit. "He's unconscious but he's stable, take him to Madam Pomfrey," she wrenched the door open, "tell her he fell down a flight of stairs!" Blaise nodded, hurrying over to Carrow's limp body.

Arianwen pushed past the tapestry guarding the common room and looked left and right, searching for Draco. She saw him walking quickly, rounding a corner to the left.

"Draco!" She shouted, running to catch up, "wait!"

She rounded the corner and ran up behind him, grabbing his arm, "stop, please!"

He span round, looking furious, "why did you do that?" He shouted. "Why did you goad him like that? Carrow is _dangerous_ , Ri."

"I just reacted!" She exclaimed defensively, "he was trying to belittle me in front of everyone!"

"You didn't even have your wand!" He shouted, running his hands through his hair desperately.

"I could've summoned it," she bit back, angrily.

"But you _didn't_ , did you! If I wasn't there-"

"I don't need you to protect me." She spat, glaring at him. Then she suddenly remembered Carrow's words.

"Is it true then?" She asked him accusingly, "are you one of _them_?" It was obvious that she was referring to the Death Eaters.

Draco let out a roar of frustration and slammed his hand against a window, staring out onto the grounds. After a long pause and a few deep breaths he replied quietly, "yes. It's true."

Arianwen felt her stomach drop, she'd hoped so much that it was all just rumours. "Why? That's so stupid!" She shouted, "don't you know how fatal that could be?!"

"Of course I do!" He spat. He turned away from the window, rubbing his face with his hands and pulling at his hair; he pressed his back against the wall and slid down it, his face still covered.

"I had no choice," he whispered, his voice cracking, "he threatened to kill my parents if I didn't."

Arianwen instantly softened; she looked at the distraught man in front of her, it was a heartbreaking sight. Kneeling down, she slid between his open legs and pulled his hands away from his face, forcing him to look at her.

"Come here," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him and embracing him firmly.

Draco hugged her tightly. Neither of them spoke for a long time before she pulled away, she cupped her hands around his face and lifted it to gain eye contact.

His wonderful grey eyes looked weary as he surveyed her, "whatever task he's given you," she said softly, "you can do it."

He nodded, giving her a small smile. She sat back, crossing her legs over his. "So have you…" she tailed off, not wanting to say 'killed' aloud.

He shook his head slowly, "no," but his face became even more serious, "not yet."

Arianwen gulped, she was terrified.

"Don't look so scared," he said softly, taking her hand and squeezing it gently, "I can handle it."

She nodded, trying to change her expression to something more neutral. Draco sighed, "I'm sorry about the whole thing in Hogsmeade… I wasn't thinking."

"Don't worry about it." She smiled, "lets be friends again, yeah?"

Draco's heart sank at those last words but he smiled at her anyway and nodded in agreement, "yeah."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks very much to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favourited so far, I really appreciate it! Hope you're enjoying it so far, there's a lot more drama to come!


	7. Chapter Seven: Betrayal

**Chapter Seven: Betrayal**

It was the morning of the first Quidditch match of the season, Ravenclaw versus Slytherin, and there was a buzz of excitement around the Great Hall at breakfast. Crabbe and Goyle were boasting loudly about their chances against the Ravenclaw team, who were only sitting at the next table so heard every word. There seemed to be a lot of animosity between the two Houses, who usually got on just fine, they shouted abuse and taunts at each other from across the House tables. Draco rolled his eyes in amusement, his fellow Slytherins were always so accomplished at psyching out their rivals.

Draco felt eyes on him, he turned his head to see Arianwen looking at him disapprovingly. Ever since he'd confessed his new Death Eater status to her, she'd been monitoring his health closely. She would bring food from lunch to their Alchemy lessons if she didn't see him in the Great Hall, and would give him lectures about the importance of sleep.

"You've got to have more than half a slice of toast, love," he liked how her accent would always become much more noticeable when she was being serious.

"Here," she said, piling scrambled eggs, avocado, bacon and more toast onto his plate, "and after that you can have some fruit." She commanded.

He laughed in exasperation, "yes, mother," but started to eat anyway.

She smiled happily at him. "You'll thank me later. You can't do a whole Quidditch match on an empty stomach, your body will start using up the proteins in your muscles for fuel," she paused and smiled at him mischievously, "and we can't have you losing those muscles, can we?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her, she'd been casually flirting with him a lot more over the past few weeks. "I didn't realise you were so attached to them?" He drawled, smirking at her.

"I have _eyes_ , Draco." She smiled at him, looking irritatingly pretty.

"Then why won't you let me take you on a date?" He asked, looking at Arianwen intently.

"Because we're friends." She said, smiling at him teasingly, "and friends don't go on dates."

Draco groaned, _must she play so hard to get?_

She laughed quietly at his aggravated expression, "besides," she said, gesturing to some eager looking girls further down the table, "I wouldn't want to detract any attention away from your fan club."

Draco was stopped from answering as an influx of owls appeared, carrying mail to various students around the room. His large eagle owl dropped a letter onto his now empty plate, he recognised the writing as that of his mother. She wished him luck for his upcoming match and advised him to eat a hearty meal before the game started. Draco rolled his eyes again and looked up to tell Arianwen.

He was surprised to see two owls in front of her, both carrying official looking letters. Arianwen had already opened one and was frowning as her eyes moved down the parchment; by the time she'd reached the end she looked absolutely livid.

"Everything okay?" Draco asked quietly, he leaned over to sneak a look at the letter but it was all written in a strange foreign language, Welsh, he presumed.

Arianwen looked up quickly, she'd forgotten that she was in such a public place. She arranged her face into a blank expression in an instant and folded up the letter, placing it in a pile with the others. She stood up, "yes, yes all fine. Just need to send a few owls," she said casually. She raised her voice so that Crabbe and Goyle could hear her, "good luck today boys, I don't want to see any of you in the Hospital Wing after the match" after she'd fixed them all with a stern look, she exited the Great Hall, walking purposefully.

* * *

Arianwen sat down at a table in the library and pulled out the letters she'd received at breakfast. The first letter was from her uncle's lawyers, it read:

 _Dear Marchioness Arianwen Gwydion,_

 _I am writing to inform you that my firm, on behalf of Lord Dafydd Gwydion, have filed legal proceedings against you with regards to the will of the late Duke of Pembrokeshire & Carmarthenshire. _

_You will receive a letter from your legal counsel regarding our charges against you, which are as follows:_

 _1\. That you are not the rightful beneficiary of the estate of the deceased._

 _2\. That you, as the executor of the estate, withheld inheritance from Lord Dafydd Gwydion._

 _In accordance with the Act of Settlement 1296, your assets have been frozen while the case proceeds._

 _Please consult your legal counsel for more information._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Mr. L. Madox, LLB, JSD._

 _Madox and Llywelyn Legal Services._

The second letter was from Arianwen's own lawyers, who explained the basis for her uncle contesting her father's will.

 _The Act of Settlement 1296 is extremely outdated and most people are happy to disregard certain aspects of it when fulfilling probate in order to make the process quicker and easier for the beneficiaries involved. Unfortunately, Lord Gwydion's lawyers have found a clause in the Act that could allow him to gain your father's title before you come of age. The Act states that inheritance may be passed to any male heir whether he is of age or not; if there is no male heir but a direct female heir exists, she may only inherit if she is of age at the time of death. Otherwise the estate should be passed down the deceased's nearest collateral line, which is your uncle._

Arianwen wrinkled her nose in confusion, _surely if Uncle Dafydd was supposed to inherit father's estate then he would've done so already!_

The letter then went on to explain that all of her bank accounts had been frozen apart from one, the 'Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire Poverty Fund', which could remain open due to its charitable purposes. This was the main problem for the time being, without any access her bank accounts, Arianwen would have to rely on the few bags of galleons that she had remaining. It may still seem like a lot of money to most people but Arianwen was accustomed to a certain lifestyle.

Feeling angry and confused, she grabbed a bit of spare parchment and began scrawling a reply to her lawyer.

 _Dear Mr. Powell,_

 _Thank you for writing to me so swiftly. I am saddened to hear that my uncle wishes to deprive me of my father's title and assets._

 _Whilst I am saddened, I cannot say that I'm surprised that my uncle has done this but I do not fully understand how he can possibly prove his case. In fact, I wish for the second charge to be appealed immediately, on the grounds that I offered my uncle his inheritance, Gelert Manor and its surrounding fifty acres of land. I have a signed document proving that my uncle refused this and chose to reside in my home, Myddfai House, whilst taking on the role of my guardian._

 _I assume that the Welsh Division of the Ministry of Magic will be able to change the current Act of Settlement 1296. Is this correct?_

 _I would greatly appreciate it if you could come to Hogsmeade Village in Scotland to discuss matters further. I will be there next weekend._

 _Regards,_

 _Marchioness Arianwen Gwydion._

Arianwen felt better after putting her thoughts onto the letter to her lawyer. She felt sure that the Welsh Ministry would agree to change the Act of Settlement 1296 so that women could inherit in equality with men; and her uncle's point about her withholding inheritance from him was complete nonsense. She went to the Owlery to send her letter, and lent against the balcony railings, taking long breaths of fresh air to calm herself.

A roar from the grounds suddenly interrupted her thoughts. _Shit. The match!_ Arianwen had promised that she would cheer Draco on as he attempted to catch the snitch before Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw seeker. She hurried out of the castle and over to the Quidditch stadium, managing to get there just in time as the announcer alerted the spectators to a green and blue streak, it was Cho and Draco zooming toward the snitch at the Ravenclaw goal posts.

In a spectacular corkscrew motion, Draco managed to snatch the snitch from the air and raised his arm in triumph.

The Slytherin stand erupted into cheers and applause as the commentator announced the final results.

"Slytherin – 190, Ravenclaw – 50!" The commentator groaned.

Arianwen managed to find Blaise in the swarm of students that were making their way onto the pitch to congratulate their team.

"Where've you been?" He asked curiously.

"I had a letter from my lawyer," Arianwen admitted, feeling guilty that she'd almost missed the entire match, "and I had to respond straight away."

"Oh really? What's going on?" Blaise questioned, looking concerned.

Arianwen waved a hand as if to dismiss the issue, "I'll tell you all about it later, I just want to congratulate Draco first." She looked through the masses of students on the pitch until she eventually saw Draco's recognisable white blonde hair. "Or at least I would if I could get through!" Arianwen exclaimed as she slipped through the crowd, Blaise right behind her.

They made it into an opening of the crowd but Arianwen stopped suddenly, astonished by the scene before her. The Slytherin team were all greeting their fans, sharing looks of superciliousness as shouts of adoration came from all angles. There, in the middle of it all, Draco was standing with his hands on Astoria Greengrass' face, pulling her into a long kiss.

Arianwen wanted nothing more than to turn and run away but she knew that she couldn't. She was the one who'd insisted on them being friends, who'd denied him of any opportunity to take her on a date. She had been testing him, hoping that he would show some significant signs of improvement. He'd stopped seeing Pansy and Arianwen foolishly thought that she'd been a factor in that decision, _clearly not_ , she thought hollowly. Arianwen had tested him and Draco had failed.

Before he noticed her, she made her best efforts to look as unreadable as possible and motioned for Blaise to follow her as she walked over to him. They had stopped kissing but were still standing very close and Astoria's arm was wrapped around Draco's waist.

"Draco." Arianwen said flatly, he turned to look at her, trying to gauge her reaction. She remained firmly calm and expressionless as she spoke, "I just wanted to congratulate you on your performance."

For a minute, Draco thought she was referring to his kiss with Astoria, until he realised how entirely unphased she appeared, "thanks. Were you even here?"

Arianwen couldn't bring herself to look at Astoria just yet, but she could see her leaning her head on Draco's arm flirtatiously, "yes I saw you catch the snitch-"

"Wasn't he amazing?!" Astoria cooed, looking proud that one of the most sought-after guys in Slytherin was giving her attention.

Arianwen forced her eyes away from Draco and onto Astoria, begrudgingly. "Glorious!" She agreed, forcing herself to smile sweetly at the younger girl. "And how are you Astoria, love? Daphne was telling me that you're mother is trying to arrange an engagement for you again?" She asked motheringly.

Astoria giggled and blushed, "yeah! She's trying to arrange something with Mrs Malfoy!"

Arianwen felt a strange sense of mania creep over her, compelling her to laugh out loud in maddening disbelief.

 _What a two-faced prick_. Her eyes snapped to Draco's, "well isn't that nice for the two of you. Don't you think this is wonderful news, Blaise?"

Blaise looked at her uncertainly, he could tell that she was about to flip at any second, "Yes. Congratulations, both." He said hollowly, pulling her arm, "We've got to go and see Professor Slughorn remember? Let's go!"

Arianwen smiled widely at Draco and Astoria, "see you later guys."

Astoria was absolutely beside herself with glee, she'd finally managed to get Draco Malfoy to not only notice her, but kiss her too; and the famous Lady Arianwen had been so kind to her as well!

* * *

 _The following weekend, in Hogsmeade…_

It was the first weekend of December and you could definitely tell. Arianwen shivered as she walked down to Hogsmeade, her fellow Slytherins not far behind. She was regretting her decision to just wear a winter cloak to protect her from the cold, but normally in Wales at this time of year that would've been plenty. It was a good thing that she'd be spending the majority of her day in the Three Broomsticks pub, a classic British country pub with cosy fires and a steady supply of warming drinks.

She had decided to walk ahead of the rest of her classmates as she was going to meet her lawyers and some other associates to discuss a plan of action for her uncle's case against her. While Draco wasn't with Astoria today, he had seen no issue with publicly kissing her in the common room, or going off to his dormitory with her, the whole thing was unbearably arrogant. Sometimes she would tell herself that he may not have been aware of her presence, as she'd taken to sitting in a quiet corner of the common room to look through legal documents, do her homework, and research her next potion idea. She was trying her best to not let it bother her but those annoying pangs of jealousy would ruin her efforts every time. For the most part, however, Arianwen managed to distract herself with a hectic work schedule, from working in the Hospital Wing to reviewing the recipients of her family's charitable fund.

As she neared the Three Broomsticks, Arianwen heard a familiar voice from behind her. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Arianwen halted in front of the pub, her heart skipping a beat, _can it be?_ She turned around slowly, and beamed with a mixture of relief and happiness.

"Gwyn!" Her former boyfriend was leaning against the glass of the pub, arms crossed and grinning at her handsomely.

He walked over to her and bowed, which was a bit odd as her friends didn't normally bother with acknowledging each other's titles and superiorities unless they were in a formal setting.

"My Lady." He said, straightening back up, his eyes twinkling.

Arianwen nodded back respectfully, "My Lord." She didn't have to curtsy as his title was lower than hers; Gwyn was technically Lord Gwyn Bedwyr a courtesy title given to him by his father, the Earl of Monmouthshire.

She made a little leap toward him and wrapped her arms around him happily, he span her around, hugging her tightly. "I've missed you, little one." He said as he set her down and kissing her head affectionately.

Arianwen could see her fellow Slytherins watching their exchange as they walked into the pub but she didn't pay any notice to them.

"I know, I've missed you all so much!" They walked into the pub and looked for an appropriately sized table. Unfortunately the only large table that was still available was right next to the one her classmates had just congregated around. They removed their winter cloaks and sat down, ignoring the gazes of the Slytherins opposite, whom were all eaves dropping intently.

"The others send their love," Gwyn said, speaking in English, "Brianne was desperate to come and see you but I said it's probably not the most appropriate day to come."

Arianwen nodded, they were going to discuss legal issues, which Brianne had no sway over.

"So who else is coming today?" Arianwen asked.

"There should be your lawyer and his business partner, Aneirin is coming on behalf of his father, and the Duke of Montgomeryshire should be coming as well."

Arianwen nodded, "good. It'll be interesting to hear what they have to say about it."

"I don't think you've got anything to worry about there, there's a pretty mutual aversion to your uncle across Wales."

The bell above the door to the pub rang, signaling the entrance of Arianwen's guests. Four important looking men entered the pub and Gwyn rose to greet them, guiding them toward their table.

Two of the men were dressed in expensive looking black robes and carrying briefcases, they bore matching expressions of solemnity.

The other two men swept over to the table with such regal grace that they caught the attention of most of the rest of the people in the pub. The younger of the two was wearing deep rich emerald coloured robes, which were extravagantly embroidered with golden thread, his family crest emblazoned on the breast proudly. The other man looked to be in his mid fifties and wore the same style robes as his counterpart, only his were a luxurious royal purple and he bore a different crest on the breast of his robes.

Arianwen and Gwyn were also wearing the same extravagant robes, Arianwen's were a rich garnet red while Gwyn's were cerulean blue. Arianwen arose and moved around the table to greet the new arrivals.

The two men in black robes bowed to her and each shook her hand in turn. She turned to the younger man in the green robes and smiled at him, shaking hands, "Thank you for coming Lord Aneirin, I hope your journey was pleasant." As they were both equals in terms of peerage, neither had to bow to the other. Aneirin was the son of the Duke of Gwynedd, who had great influence in the North of Wales and a bounty of titles to his name. As his heir apparent, Aneirin had the title of Marquess.

Finally, Arianwen turned to the regal man in the purple robes, the Duke of Montgomeryshire. She bent into a low curtsy gracefully and bowed her head. "Your Grace."

Then addressing the group as a whole, Arianwen asked for everyone to sit. To the dismay of the Slytherins at the next table, who had been watching the whole ceremonious display take place, the group started speaking in Welsh.

"I wonder what they're talking about!" Tracey whispered so the Welsh table wouldn't overhear.

"I assume it must be something to do with that article in the Prophet about her uncle freezing her bank accounts." Theodore Nott drawled. There was a general understanding and nodding of heads, they'd all seen the article, it had been hot gossip in the Slytherin common room.

"Can anyone do the translation charm?" Millicent asked eagerly.

They all looked at each other until Goyle announced, "Draco can!" The group all turned to Draco expectantly.

Draco was actually quite interested in what was going on with Arianwen but didn't want the others to know so rolled his eyes and sighed as he cast the spell on an empty glass and pointed it towards the opposite table. They all leaned in nosily, catching the middle of one of the lawyer's sentences.

"-so we can't unfreeze her Ladyship's accounts until the case has been dismissed and the law changed to reflect the right, as a woman, to inherit in equality with male heirs."

"The law should have been changed years ago!" Aneirin exclaimed in annoyance, "We are not misogynists like some of our neighbours in the UK. It seems ridiculous that we are still following the laws made by central government, we have ruled in our own right for centuries."

The rest of the table nodded in agreement, "indeed." The Duke of Montgomeryshire spoke, "this situation sets us back greatly, especially as it's been so widely publicised. Lord Gwydion must not be allowed to discredit us in such a manner. What can be done to stop him?"

The lawyer spoke, looking stressed, "we will need to start a petition appealing to the Ministry of Magic to amend the Act of Settlement 1296. It would be advantageous to get the signatures of all the families currently presiding over the other twelve counties."

"There should also be signatures from the common folk in your counties, Lady Arianwen, and any other high-profile figures would be advisable." The other lawyer suggested.

"That shouldn't be a problem, we have a plethora of contacts between us." Gwyn said.

Aneirin, Arianwen and the Duke all nodded in agreement.

"There is another problem," The lead lawyer, Mr Powell, said hesitantly. It was somewhat intimidating advising such high profile, influential characters.

"Oh?" The Duke questioned, looking irritated.

"I received word from Lord Gwydion's legal counsel today, advising that Lord Gwydion is also challenging Lady Arianwen's position as Warden of the South."

There was a shared look of outrage on all the faces of the Welsh gentry at the table. "That position has been with the Duchy of Carmarthenshire since the reign of King Arthur Pendragon!" The Duke raised his voice angrily.

"Yes I understand that," Mr Powell said calmly, "but it is an elected position and elections haven't been held since the regrettable passing of the Duke of Pembrokeshire & Carmarthenshire."

"Well my father certainly won't dispute it!" Gwyn proclaimed.

"Neither will mine," Aneirin agreed, "Lord Gwydion would surely abuse the position and Lady Arianwen has already done more for her people than Lord Gwydion could achieve in a lifetime." Arianwen smiled, she was very appreciative of their support. _Not that my contributions to society are the only reason that the Duke of Gwynedd will support me,_ Arianwen thought in amusement, her uncle's wife had left him for the Duke after all.

The Duke of Montgomeryshire looked at Arianwen approvingly, "and I know that the Earls and Countess' in my region will elect Arianwen without hesitation." This was probably less to do with Arianwen's popularity and more to do with the Duke himself. He was Warden of Mid-Wales and was very well respected in their circle.

"There we are then," Mr Powell said, "with the support of the Warden of the North," he nodded to Aneirin, referring to his father, "and the Warden of Mid-Wales, you should easily retain your position as Warden of the South, Lady Arianwen."

"I am most humbled by your support," Arianwen smiled regally at the men before her, "I will, of course, still visit each of the great Houses to ensure their loyalty."

"I'll join you, Lady Arianwen. It would be pragmatic to display a united front." Aneirin advised ardently.

"Thank you, Lord Aneirin, that is most gracious of you." She said, smiling appreciatively at him.

There was a general air of satisfaction amongst the gentry, feeling pleased to have planned their next course of action so efficiently. Their gratification was soon dulled by Mr Powell's associate.

"I wanted to warn you, Lady Arianwen, of the great importance of your success in this case with your uncle." The man paused as all eyes looked at him with concern. "I have heard word from a trusted source that Lord Gwydion intends to join the forces of Lord Voldemort and offer your people to him to join his army of purebloods."

Arianwen felt rage coursing through her and from the looks of the others at the table they felt the same. "My people have no business fighting the Dark Lord's battles for him." She hissed. The Slytherins at the next table raised their eyebrows at each other, shocked that she would openly defy their Lord. "The Wardens defied him in their first war and as the Warden of the South, I have no qualms in doing so again. If the English had paid more attention to the management of their blood purity as we advised them in the 10th century, they would have more than twenty-eight truly pureblooded families and wouldn't have any need for this war." She hissed venomously.

The Slytherin's looked at each other; Crabbe, Goyle, Nott and Pansy Parkinson all looked outraged, while the other girls just looked scared for Arianwen, and Blaise and Draco shared looks of concern.

Draco's attention was taken suddenly by the movement of Katie Bell, she was heading towards the girls toilets. He stood up and walked stealthily in the same direction, he had a job to do.

* * *

By the time Draco returned, only Arianwen and her male friend remained at the table opposite his. They were chatting and laughing happily, _she looks happier than she has in a while_ , he mused jealously.

"Did I miss much?" He asked his friends.

"Not really, the others just excused themselves." Theodore informed Draco.

"And now that lovely Gwyn guy is trying to get her to go out with him again!" Daphne squealed excitedly.

Draco sat down slowly, making sure that his face didn't give away the emotions he was feeling inside.

"They were a couple were they?" He drawled, succeeding in sounding casual.

"Oh yeah didn't you know? We saw a photo of them together, they were so sweet!" Daphne cooed.

"Shh!" Kathleen said, annoyed. "I can't hear what they're saying!"

The table silenced again, listening to the unknowing Welsh couple beside them.

"Oh come on, you miss me a little bit, admit it!" Gwyn was smiling at her flirtatiously.

"Yes, I miss you as my friend." Arianwen said firmly.

"Nah come on, you miss me as your boyfriend! Just think about if we got married, we'd have almost all of South Wales. All we would need is for our son to marry the daughter of the Earl of Glamorganshire and we'd own the whole area!" he said excitedly.

"How romantic." She replied sarcastically.

He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek, she smiled and shook her head, "I'm just messin'," he said, his deep voice and attractive Welsh accent causing some of the Slytherin girls to giggle girlishly.

"Such an idiot." Arianwen said, laughing and swatting her friend away.

"I'll try not to be too offended," Gwyn said, laughing, "Brianne told me that someone else has got your attention?"

She shrugged in a non-committal fashion, "there was someone for a bit," she paused, smiling at Gwyn mischievously, "but he ended up being just as conceited as you are."

Gwyn laughed loudly at this, he pulled her closer and kissed her cheek again, "he's not as good-looking as me though right?"

She rolled her eyes and laughed, "case and point right there!"

"I think that's enough" Blaise said to his classmates, pointing his wand at the charmed glass and watching as it reduced to ash.

A few minutes later, Arianwen and Gwyn stood up and left the pub. Draco watched as they said goodbye to each other outside one of the pub's windows. He watched as the attractive Welsh man kissed Arianwen on the head softly and pulled her into a hug, the feeling of jealousy was so strong that his fists curled into balls. Gwyn walked away but Arianwen carried on standing outside the pub, looking visibly upset as she watched him go. She took one deep sigh and turned to walk back to Hogwarts. _She clearly still loves him_ , he thought, feeling glad that he could distract himself with Astoria from that weird foreign feeling that he had whenever he saw Arianwen.

* * *

Arianwen walked back to the castle, replaying her last moment with Gwyn.

 _"_ _Your father would be so proud of you Ri. You're handling all this bullshit so well."_

 _She looked up at him, unable to control the tears that were welling up in her eyes._

 _"_ _I'm not." She admitted sadly, "I've just pushed everything to the back of my mind but one day I know I'm gonna' have to face my loss, and I don't know how I'll react. I really don't."_

 _Gwyn kissed her head softly, he couldn't even imagine how hard life must be for her at the moment._

 _"_ _You've always got us, little one. There'll always be a place for you in our homes."_

 _He pulled her into a long hug, not wanting to leave her while she was so vulnerable. As she pulled away she flashed him the same strong smile that she always did when she was trying to control her emotions._

 _"_ _Thanks for coming, Gwyn. Tell the other's I miss them?"_

 _"_ _Will do. Look after yourself, okay?"_

 _She nodded. "I will. Bye, love. See you soon."_

 _He nodded, "yeah, see you soon Ri." He turned and walked away, before apparating at the end of the street._

 _She watched him leave, thinking about her father. She took a deep sigh to clear her thoughts, and started walking back to Hogwarts._

She was forced away from her thoughts suddenly by a terrible, eerie scream. Running along the path she saw a girl's body suspended in the air, her head tilted backwards, eyes rolled back creepily. She looked as though she was experiencing some unimaginable torture. Then her body plummeted to the ground, slamming down on the cold stone 10 feet beneath her.

She recognised three Gryffindors in her year, all staring in horror at the scene before them. The Potter boy went to examine the necklace that was strewn on the floor, its wrapping lying ripped apart next to it.

"I told her not to," another girl was saying, over and over again.

"Don't touch it!" Arianwen shouted just as the Potter boy's fingers were inches from the chain. "It's cursed!"

She ran past the Gryffindors and crashed down next to the girl's limp body. She pressed her ear to the girl's mouth, listening for breath. She could hear a very faint rasping and then…nothing.

"No!" She shouted desperately. She balled her left hand into fist, while pointing her wand at the girl's heart with her right hand. In perfect unison, she punched her hand onto the girl's heart as hard as she could while casting a spell to help kickstart the girl's heart. Her body jolted and Arianwen pressed her ear to the girl's mouth again, she could hear her breathing.

She knew it wasn't over yet, she didn't have time to get a consciousness potion…she'd have to use an ancient form of Welsh magic that had been passed down through the generations.

Discarding her wand, she held her hands over the girl's chest and started chanting a long incantation in ancient Celtic. Bright white light burst from her hands, penetrating through the girl's robes and into her heart and lungs.

"What's happened here?" She heard the loud panicked voice of the school's gamekeeper but ignored him, eyes closed, focusing on the incantation.

She was reaching the end of the incantation and could hear the girl's breathing getting louder now. Then with one last push, the light disappeared and Arianwen gasped for breath. She felt the girl's pulse, it was weak but steady.

She looked up and shouted to the gamekeeper, "take her up to the castle! Tell Madam Pomfrey that I've restarted her heart but she needs 50ml of essence of dittany immediately. She'll need to go to St. Mungo's."

The giant nodded, rushing towards the girl and picking her up with ease. He turned back to the Potter boy and shouted, "don't touch it! Just pick it up by its wrappings, take it to Professor McGonagall!"

Hagrid started running towards the Hospital Wing. Arianwen was still struggling to regain her strength; she wasn't very practiced in the ancient magic passed down from her famous ancestor, 'The Lady in the Lake', a famous healer from Arthurian times.

The Gryffindor's rushed towards the castle, taking the other girl with them. Arianwen managed to stand up slowly, still panting. She looked back towards the village, trying to think who would be foolish enough to give someone that terrible necklace. Her eyes met Draco's, his face was as white as a sheet and he looked hauntingly petrified, she felt her heart plummet. _No, please not you. Please say this wasn't you._

His wide eyes confirmed her fears in an instant.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to everyone that's stuck with the story so far, there's lots more drama coming up in the next few chapters. I'm trying to update as regularly as possible but work is starting to get a bit more hectic!


	8. Chapter Eight: Loneliness

**A/N:** Hi guys, I hope you enjoy this chapter! I had lots of fun reading the reviews for chapter seven, thanks for your support :) I just need to clarify that the song quoted later in the chapter is by Robyn, called 'Dancing On My Own'. The version of the song that I'm trying to recreate in this chapter would be an acoustic one, the cover by Calum Scott is a good one to listen to if you want to get an idea of the vibe.

* * *

 **Chapter Eight: Loneliness**

The sixth year students that were studying N.E.W.T Herbology were making their way to the greenhouses in drips and drabs. Arianwen was alone, walking apart from the other Slytherins, who she'd been finding more and more irritating of late. This was probably mainly due to the selection of her classmates that were taking Herbology as she got on with the majority of the others. There were five of them that had chosen the class; Theodore, Margaret, Pansy and Draco. Margaret, who had been fairly friendly to Arianwen in her first few weeks at Hogwarts, had grown colder toward her when she fell out publicly with Pansy. Theodore seemed to respect Arianwen but she got the distinct impression that he didn't actually like her, and Draco… _well Draco is just Draco,_ she thought exasperatedly.

She seemed to be the last person to enter the greenhouse, as there was only one spare seat remaining next to a shy boy whom Arianwen recognised from her work over the summer.

"Hello Neville," she said quietly as she took the spare seat, "lovely to see you again."

The Gryffindors all turned to Arianwen with matching expressions of astonishment. Neville was particularly shocked that the girl he'd met that summer remembered him.

She'd been working with patients on the Janus Thickey Ward of St. Mungo's and had won a prize for a potion that she'd created to help restore some memories to people suffering major psychosis. Over a number of months she had slowly made her way round the ward and eventually ended with the Longbottom's. Neville remembered how much his gran had liked Arianwen, on reflection it didn't seem so surprising as she was naturally charming in nature and her name was so highly spoken around the ward. The thing he'd enjoyed most about meeting Arianwen was the way she was with his parents. She seemed to radiate peacefulness and had been incredibly patient with them as she tried to find the best course of action to treat them. He remembered one particular occasion fondly, it was the first time his mum had truly managed to express her feelings toward him.

 _Neville walked down the long ward that he'd so frequently visited in St Mungo's. His grandmother was fussing over his father and Neville wondered where his mother had gone. He spotted her at the very end of the ward, sitting on a comfortable sofa as Arianwen sat closely next to her, reading her the same book that she'd read for the last month. He watched as his mother plaited her hair carefully. He approached them slowly, not wanting to disturb the moment._

 _"-and then Mummy Pippa felt very scared as she couldn't find little Timmy anywhere!" Arianwen said, reading the book in her usual soothing tone, "do you know why Mummy Pippa was so scared, Alice?" she asked softly._

 _Alice stopped playing with Arianwen's hair and looked at her in confusion._

 _"Why would Mummy Pippa be afraid that she can't find Timmy, Alice?" Arianwen probed gently, passing the book to Alice._

 _Alice seemed to ponder the question for a while, flipping back to the beginning of the book where a large picture of Timmy the kitten who was being groomed by his mother, 'Mummy Pippa'._

 _Alice pointed to the picture and looked back at Arianwen to see if she had got it right. Arianwen smiled proudly at her, "That's right, lovely, she was scared because little Timmy is her precious boy and she can't find him."_

 _Alice, seeming encouraged, flipped roughly to the last page of the book and showed it to Arianwen proudly._

 _Neville couldn't see what she was pointing to but it seemed to make Arianwen very happy. "Yes, Alice! She loves him very much." Neville coughed quietly, making his presence known._

 _Alice looked at Arianwen in uncertainty but she nodded and smiled at her encouragingly. She stood up slowly and walked over to Neville, book still clutched in her hands. She held it open for Neville to see and then pointed at the mother cat embracing her kitten happily. She then pointed to the kitten and looked at Neville, trying to make him understand._

 _Arianwen slowly moved over to the pair, "come on Alice, you can do this," she said in a soft but firm tone._

 _Neville felt his mother's hand in his. "Timmy!" She said, staring at him wide eyed._

 _He understood instantly. His eyes welled up uncontrollably but he held his mother's gaze, "that's right mum."_

"Hi, Arianwen. I'm sorry I haven't come to say hello sooner," Neville said, looking sheepish.

She smiled and shook her head, she understood how he felt about his parents and how he wanted to keep it as a secret for now, "don't be silly, I understand."

Arianwen and Neville worked together to extract pulsating green Snargaluff pods from the plant's stump. Unfortunately Neville lost control of one particularly stubborn Snargaluff pod and it flew up in the air, hurtled across the large workbench and smacked Draco in the arm painfully.

He looked around in irritation, "watch it Longbottom," he snarled.

"Uh…sorry, Malfoy." Neville muttered.

Pansy, who jumped on any opportunity to belittle the Gryffindor, glared evilly at Neville. "It's a shame your grandmother can't buy you some brains, Longbottom," she sneered as Neville turned a bright shade of red, "she must be so ashamed-"

"Pansy," Arianwen said warningly, "that's enough."

"Oh what a surprise!" Pansy shrieked, "The _great_ _Lady_ _Arianwen_ betraying her House again!"

Arianwen sighed, looking at Pansy as though she were trying to explain something to a rock, "now Pansy, what have we discussed about your opinions?"

Pansy snorted in contempt, unable to think of a suitable retort in time. "A highly witty response as always." Arianwen drawled lazily.

"Shut up you stupid Welsh whore!" Pansy screeched.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Neville shouted, much to the surprise of his classmates. He had his wand raised and pointed at Pansy threateningly.

"And what are you going to do, Longbottom," she sneered, "trip over and knock yourself out? You're pathetic!"

"Oh Pansy," Arianwen shook her head, looking oddly amused, "I really don't think Neville here _cares_ if you think he's pathetic or not. You see, you're not held in such high-esteem as you think. In fact," she drawled, "I'm pretty sure that if you needed a fuck to stay alive and Neville had a pocket full of fucks, he certainly wouldn't give you one."

Draco felt the corners of his mouth twitching as he tried not to laugh, Arianwen really did seem to enjoy her odd little phrases. He didn't understand why she was bothering to defend such a worthless blood traitor but assumed that she was just taking her chance to chastise Pansy.

Arianwen and Neville exchanged nods of mutual thanks and continued with the task at hand.

* * *

Arianwen had been taking up refuge in the Hospital Wing more and more often as the winter months descended upon them and snow started to coat the Castle. It was relaxing for her, being able to learn from Madam Pomfrey while treating patients on a case-by-case basis. Most of the students who wound up in the Hospital Wing would look at her with the utmost uncertainty, aware that she was a Slytherin and expecting her to want to worsen their ailments and injuries tenfold. The students would eventually realise that this wasn't the case and Arianwen's warm, soothing nature would put them at ease.

She was brewing a fresh batch of the Pepperup potion, the colder atmosphere around the castle causing many more students to come to the Hospital Wing complaining of colds and flu.

"Ah, there you are, dear!" Madam Pomfrey said, emerging through the doors of her office and over to the table where Arianwen was slowly stirring her potion.

"Oh, hi Poppy." Arianwen smiled at the matron. "Sorry, I just wanted to get this finished before I go to see Professor Dumbledore."

Madam Pomfrey nodded, Arianwen had confided in her about her uncle and the ongoing battle for her father's titles. Arianwen had asked Madam Pomfrey if she could leave a little earlier that day as she wanted to speak to Professor Dumbledore about the situation, hopefully resulting in him signing her petition.

"Okay, that's very good of you Arianwen," she fixed the young woman with a concerned look, "but I do worry about you overworking yourself!"

Arianwen laughed and shook her head, "don't worry, I've worked like this my whole life, its perfectly normal in Wales."

Madam Pomfrey sighed, knowing that she would never get Arianwen to slow down, "well not that I'm supporting my point very well," Madam Pomfrey said, "but I wrote to one of my contacts at St. Mungo's, he heard about how you acted quickly with poor Katie Bell and was very impressed with you. So he's agreed to allow you to do some work experience with them over the holidays, if you'd like it?"

Arianwen stopped stirring the potion and smiled widely, "seriously?!" Madam Pomfrey nodded, smiling at the girl's enthusiasm.

"That would be incredible! Thank you so much!" she jumped with excitement, "which department will I be working in?"

"You'll be on the fourth floor in the spell damage department, on the Emergency Care ward."

Arianwen's mouth fell open; it was the ideal placement for her. She embraced Madam Pomfrey in an appreciative hug, "thank you!" She said earnestly.

* * *

Arianwen practically skipped over to Professor Dumbledore's office that evening, feeling absolutely elated at the thought of working alongside some of the best Healers in the UK. She tried to compose herself as she said the password, "chocolate frog" and made her way up the grand spiral staircase to his office. She knocked twice and heard the professor say, "come in!"

She pushed open the door to Dumbledore's office and was met by the sounds of many strange little instruments that he had placed around the room on spindly tables.

"Ah, Lady Arianwen," came the voice of the headmaster, he motioned for her to sit in a quirky chintz armchair opposite his desk.

"Hello, Professor Dumbledore. Thank you very much for making time to see me today." She said politely.

He looked down at her, chuckling slightly, "ever as polite as your Professors tell me." He placed his hands in his lap and leant back, surveying her interestedly. "Although, Professor Sprout did inform me of a little incident in her sixth year class a week ago between yourself, Mr. Longbottom and Miss Parkinson?"

Arianwen nodded calmly, she wasn't going to bother pretending that she felt remorseful, "yes, Professor. Pansy was being quite rude to Neville, and I felt as though someone ought to stick up for him."

"Indeed." Dumbledore said, looking over his moon-shaped glasses at the girl, "you know Neville already, of course?"

Arianwen was completely taken aback, _how on earth does he know that?_

"Uh…yes, Sir. I met him and his family in St Mungo's over the summer."

Dumbledore nodded, fixing the girl with an inquisitive look, "and you were there to complete the trials for the potion that resulted in you receiving the Order of Merlin: Third Class?"

Arianwen nodded, unsure why he was questioning her on her potion making.

"I must say," Dumbledore said, "ever since I saw the story in the Daily Prophet, I was most interested as to your motives behind creating such a potion."

She paused; she would generally avoid this topic of conversation as it always ended in the same place. "I was trying to create something else." She said quietly.

Professor Dumbledore looked a little surprised, then started to think aloud, "so your potion is designed to rehabilitate the minds of the insane, with success differing depending on the level of insanity?"

"Correct." Arianwen said, it was as though the teacher-student relationship had flipped for a moment.

"So how did you discover where to start?" Dumbledore questioned, "surely the rehabilitation of a mind if extremely personal to each individual?"

Arianwen nodded, "Yes, the rehabilitation process is very personal to each patient but I monitored a variety of patients and read around the subject extensively. I researched dark magic, such as the Cruciatus Curse, and how its overuse could affect the mind and soul. I read about the Forgetfulness Charm, and how it can be manipulated to make a person forget specific things." Arianwen paused, the headmaster was looking at her very intently.

"After all of that, I was able to split my patients into two groups: those whose mind had been powerfully magically altered, and those whose sense of reality was distorted due to having dark magic inflicted on them – those cases are much more challenging, as I believe their minds remain so incredibly incapacitated due to severe post-traumatic stress."

The professor's bright blue eyes were now boring into hers, she got the unnerving feeling that he was trying to read her mind.

"Very good." Dumbledore said softly, "but what made you decide to research this area? Were you trying to help someone in particular?"

Arianwen paused again, he was getting close to it now, "Yes professor, me. I was trying to help myself."

She felt as though he'd already known she was going to say that.

"Oh? To what end?"

"Well…I am unable to remember the circumstances surrounding my father's death." She said flatly.

"I see, so you remember nothing at all?" Dumbledore probed.

"Nothing. The only thing I do have is a strong gut feeling that I was there and that my uncle was his killer."

Dumbledore sat forward, examining the young woman before him. She looked as though she were carrying the weight of a thousand men on her shoulders but every time she looked at him there was such fierce determination in her eyes.

"I met your uncle quite recently, Lady Arianwen." Arianwen looked up, had her uncle beaten her to it?

"He too was looking for my support. You're campaigning against each other, I understand?"

"I am simply trying to defend my people from Uncle Dafydd, and attempting to protect my titles and position within society seems to be the best way to do so." Arianwen said firmly, she wanted to make it clear that her battle was not motivated by money or power.

"And why do you think that your people need protecting from Lord Gwydion?"

"Because he does not love them." Arianwen said simply. "He will do anything for power, he was always second best when he was growing up with my father, and it has turned him into a very narrow-minded, selfish man."

Arianwen looked at the headmaster beseechingly, trying to make him understand the importance of the issue. "I believe that my uncle would trade my people with the Dark Lord, if Uncle Dafydd could offer a skilled pureblooded army to him, he would surely be rewarded with great power in the new regime."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, his eyes boring into her once again, "and you would not do the same? You wouldn't join Lord Voldemort?"

"No." Arianwen said seriously, "the Wardens of Wales are responsible for protecting its inhabitants, be they the wizarding community, the Welsh giants, the dragons…" she paused, "…the muggles. I believe that fighting in your war will only bring destruction and devastation to my people. Undeb, Hedd, Llywddiant." She repeated the motto of the Wardens.

"Unity, Peace, Prosperity." Dumbledore translated, surprising Arianwen. "I will support you, Lady Arianwen, but I would like you to do something in return."

"And what is that?" she said, feeling a little concerned by what was coming next.

"When you come of age and your dispute with your uncle has been settled, I want you to use your status in Wales to get others like you to rethink the decision to only allow pureblood witches and wizards to learn magic in school."

Arianwen gulped. He was asking her to go against centuries of history, history that her own ancestors had played a part in. There had been a great purge of the muggle-borns in the 10th century, and a law was passed allowing only the marriages of pureblood witches and wizards, meaning that the half-bloods soon died out as well. The Welsh had no issue with the muggles themselves, they just didn't want their blood mixing; after the purge they managed to live quite harmoniously alongside each other for hundreds of years. _But there's more at stake here than history,_ she thought, _Wales will suffer a lot more with people like Uncle Dafydd in power._

"Okay, Professor. I'll try."

* * *

Blaise and Arianwen were enjoying a post-dinner cup of coffee at the House table, everyone else apart from Draco was present also, all talking in small groups. Blaise nodded towards someone at the end of the table and Arianwen turned her head to see Professor Slughorn making his way up it, handing out cards to a few people.

He stopped in front of them and smiled jovially, "Good evening, both! I've got your invitations to the Slug Club Christmas Party here, I trust you'll be in attendance?" He asked, handing them the cards.

Arianwen checked the date, 20th December, the last evening of term. "Certainly, Professor, it sounds like fun."

Slughorn turned to get Blaise's response, "Yes indeed, I look forward to it." He drawled casually.

"Excellent!" Slughorn chimed, "Now, Lady Arianwen, I have a small favour to ask of you."

"Oh yes?" She questioned.

"Well there won't just be students at the party, Gwenog Jones will be coming for instance, and the Minister for Magic has expressed how much he's looking forward to it. I've lined up a few different musical performers to keep everyone entertained but the Mr. Scrimgeour asked me to get you to sing for us all."

Arianwen gave him a long cold stare, before saying coolly, "I'm sorry Professor, I'd really rather not." Her father used to get her to perform at his functions on occasion and she did used to enjoy it, especially as everyone used to coo at how angelic she was, _but that was then_. Living in Hogwarts and being so far from her best friends had caused Arianwen to become rather more guarded. The last person she sang for was her father, she longed for those days so badly.

"But the Minister was so insistent!" Slughorn encouraged, not picking up on Arianwen's distant look.

She stared at him angrily, why was he forcing this upon her? She knew she owed the Minister a favour as he'd been extremely helpful in getting some important officials to sign her petition to change the Act of Settlement 1296. She sighed in defeat. "Fine. If the Minister is really that insistent then I suppose I have no choice."

Slughorn beamed, "wonderful! You'll have to think about what you'd like to sing!"

Arianwen looked at Blaise who was smirking at her annoyingly. "Gutted!" He teased.

* * *

It was the last day of term, and Arianwen was sitting in the corner of the common room, flicking through her photo album. Everyone's classes had ended a few days ago and most of the students were now relaxing and talking about their plans for the Christmas holidays. Arianwen was sitting with Daphne and Kathleen, who were gossiping about boys and planning who they should try and kiss under the bunches of mistletoe that were hanging around the castle.

"Oh god," Kathleen started awkwardly, "look at Draco and your sister!" The three girls all looked over to the chairs next to the fireplace. Astoria was sitting on top of Draco, her legs either side of him. They were kissing quite vigorously, so much so that it seemed to draw the attention of many of the other Slytherins. When they would eventually break for air, Astoria would giggle and play with Draco's hair while he slipped a hand up her skirt.

"ASTORIA!" Daphne bellowed, she would not allow her sister to embarrass their family so publicly. She marched over to them and pulled her sister away.

The usual feeling of anger washed over Arianwen but it was quickly replaced by sadness. She'd watched Draco behave like this consistently for the last month, sometimes with Astoria, sometimes Pansy, sometimes a completely different person. He didn't seem to be at all bothered by her anymore, he'd barely even looked at her since the incident with Katie Bell. She was glad to be going home soon, even if it did mean she'd have to see her uncle, at least she wouldn't have to feel so pathetically disappointed every time Draco kissed a girl.

Arianwen was annoyed that she'd allowed herself to develop such feelings for Draco, it made her feel like she'd relinquished control of her emotions. She'd been thinking about her father a lot more frequently recently as well, which simply added to her feeling of helpless despair.

As Daphne scolded Astoria, Arianwen's eyes moved to Draco, he looked rather pleased with himself but his face fell when he saw Arianwen. She looked away instantly and stood up, walking over to the girls' dormitories so she could get ready for the Slug Club Christmas Party.

Rummaging through her trunk, Arianwen found the dress she'd been planning to wear that evening. It was a high-necked, sleeveless navy blue silk dress with a waistband to accentuate her curves. The dress was figure hugging but elegant and came down just passed her knees, although the bottom half of the skirt was a lovely blue lace which allowed you to see her slender thighs underneath. Arianwen arranged her hair into long loose curls and charmed it to be slightly glossier than normal. She applied a thin layer of iridescent silver-white shimmering eye shadow to make her eyes stand out and layered mascara until she felt that her lashes looked long and thick enough. She brushed a thin dusting of blusher to her cheekbones and swiped a natural looking rusty red lipstick to her plump lips.

Finally, she placed her feet into a pair of pointed nude slingback shoes and placed a delicate diamond bracelet around her wrist. She walked back up to the common room to meet Blaise.

"You look incredible, Ri!" Blaise said, taking her arm and leading her out of the common room. When they arrived at the party, a tipsy Professor Slughorn, who pressed drinks into their hands, greeted them.

Blaise had picked up on Arianwen's quietness and lead her over to a table to ask her about it.

"You seem quiet, Ri. What's up?" He asked gently.

Arianwen sighed, "I don't know really, I mix of things I guess. I'm a bit torn between spending Christmas in Carmarthenshire with Uncle Dafydd or alone in Pembrokeshire. Its been a tradition for years to go ice skating on the lake at Myddfai House but obviously I always used to do that with Father and well, you know…" she tailed off.

"Yeah I know," Blaise said softly, feeling guilty that he was spending Christmas abroad with his mother. "Maybe its time to make some new memories in Pembrokeshire?"

"I don't feel like I'm choosing to make new memories though, its just being forced on me. I mean Pembrokeshire Castle is beautiful," she reasoned, "but its just another reminder of everything that's happened."

Before she could make any further comments, two men burst into the room, startling its occupants. It was Draco, being dragged in by Filch, the caretaker. Professor Snape and Professor Slughorn conversed with Draco, who looked very irritated to be there. Arianwen tried to hear what they were saying.

"Caught him trying to gatecrash, Professor Slughorn!" Filch growled.

Arianwen didn't quite catch what was said next but it looked as though Professor Slughorn was going to allow him to stay. Snape and Draco seemed to exchange harsh words and left the room, Snape clutching Draco's arm as if he was going to make a break for it.

Professor Slughorn made his way over to Arianwen and Blaise's table, "Ah Lady Arianwen, you look absolutely lovely, my dear!"

Arianwen smiled, "thank you, Professor."

"Its almost time for your performance dear, why don't you go and speak with the pianist, make sure he's got all the music ready."

Arianwen nodded and made her way over to the stage, she felt extremely nervous. It wasn't as though she was new to performing for a crowd but for some reason tonight felt different. Just as she stepped on stage and the room silenced, she noticed Draco re-enter the room. _Oh fuck._ She'd felt okay about performing her song of choice because she knew he wouldn't hear it, _well this is gonna be awkward,_ she thought anxiously.

She took a deep breath and started to sing:

Somebody said you got a new friend  
Does he love you better than I can  
There's a big black sky over my town  
I know where you're at, I bet he's around  
Yeah I know it's stupid  
But I just got to see it for myself

I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her (Oooh)  
I'm right over here, why can't you see me (Oooh)  
I'm giving it my all, but I'm not the girl you're taking home (Uuuh)  
I keep dancing on my own  
(I keep dancing on my own)

I'm just gonna dance all night  
I'm all messed up, I'm so out of line  
Stilettos and broken bottles  
I'm spinning around in circles

I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her (Oooh)  
I'm right over here, why can't you see me (Oooh)  
I'm giving it my all, but I'm not the girl you're taking home (Uuuh)  
I keep dancing on my own  
(I keep dancing on my own)

So far away, but still so near  
The lights go on, the music dies  
But you don't see me, standing here  
I just came to say goodbye

I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her (Oooh)  
I'm giving it my all, but I'm not the girl you're taking home (Uuuh)  
I keep dancing on my own  
(I keep dancing on my own)

I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her (Oooh)  
I'm right over here, why can't you see me (Oooh)  
I'm giving it my all, but I'm not the girl you're taking home (Uuuh)  
I keep dancing on my own  
(I keep dancing on my own)  
(I keep dancing on my own)

There was a pause and then a loud round of applause, "Bravo!" Slughorn shouted, wiping away tears from his eyes.

Arianwen couldn't help but look at Draco, he was standing slightly open mouthed, staring at her. She looked down, blushing, praying that he hadn't realised that the song was about him.

After about ten minutes of speaking to people about her performance and thanking them for their kind congratulations, she managed to work her way over to Blaise.

"Why don't you just tell him how you feel?" He said instantly, understanding her annoyingly well.

"I can't Blaise! I-I can't handle it right now." She admitted, feeling an uncontrollable rush of anguish forcing tears into her eyes.

She looked down, trying to regain control of herself, and saw a pair of feet stop next to her and Blaise. A familiar low voice spoke.

"Sorry Blaise, do you mind if I speak to Arianwen for a minute?" It was Draco. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him.

"Yeah, course." He walked away, leaving Arianwen to deal with Draco alone.

Arianwen looked up, her eyes meeting his. She couldn't stop herself from glaring at him, finally showing how much his actions had hurt her. Draco guided her out of the room and into the deserted corridor outside.

"That was an interesting song choice," he said softly, standing so close she could smell his aftershave. He put a hand on her arm but she pushed it off roughly, anger and betrayal taking over.

"Just leave me alone, okay! You weren't meant to hear it but just because you did it doesn't mean everything is fine between us!"

"Ri, please! You don't understand! I didn't know how you felt, I wouldn't have done any of that stuff if I'd known," He reached over and took both of her hands in his, raising them up to his chest, "please just let me fix this."

His smoky grey eyes were full of passion and regret as he looked at her imploringly.

"How?" she said quietly, her large green eyes still tearful. Draco felt his heart lurch, she looked so heartbreakingly sad. What he didn't know was that part of the pain she was experiencing was due to her father.

"Will you come and stay with us for a bit over Christmas?"

Arianwen was completely shocked. She felt her spirits lifting, "you…you want me to stay with you?"

He nodded, "yes. Just come and spend a week with me and I promise I'll fix this." She'd never seen this side to him before, he looked anxious, upset and determined all in one.

"But won't your mother mind if I'm with you for Christmas?!"

"No, she'll love you." He said, smiling down at her adoringly.

Arianwen couldn't believe she was about to give in so easily but she'd been feeling so vulnerable that her emotions had taken over control. "Okay then," she said quietly, smiling back at him.

He let out a breath in relief and pulled her into a long, tight hug.


	9. Chapter Nine: Christmas

**Chapter Nine: Christmas**

It was Christmas Eve, and Draco was sitting in their 'occasional' sitting room with his aunt and mother, they only used the grander sitting room when they had guests. The two women were questioning him about the girl he'd invited over for Christmas.

"So I'm assuming this Lady Arianwen is all prim and proper like Cissy here?" His aunt Bellatrix teased, his mother frowned at her disapprovingly.

"She was certainly very well-mannered when I met her," Narcissa said, "as you would expect from the daughter of a Duke."

Bellatrix snored, "boring! Can't you find someone with some spirit Draco?"

He smiled at his aunt, _she_ was certainly 'spirited'. "Arianwen isn't boring, Aunt Bella. "You'll like her," he insisted, "she definitely has a mouth on her when she wants."

Narcissa looked at her son sharply, she didn't like the idea of him with someone so confrontational. "Is she often hostile then?"

Draco looked at his mother, instantly picking up on her discomfort, "no not at all, I think its just when she feels threatened-" he shook his head, struggling to find the right words to explain, "well, no, not threatened…its more like when people challenge her or her ancestry. I don't know, I'm sure you'll see for yourself at some point."

Narcissa nodded, reaching for her son's hand "but you like her do you, darling?"

Draco wanted to just say 'yes' but couldn't bring himself to do so in front of his aunt, who was sneering at them as if she thought such discussions made them pitifully weak. "There's a lot more to her than anyone else I've met," he said, squeezing his mother's hand reassuringly.

Narcissa's face softened at her son's words, "I suppose she's feeling very alone at the moment, poor dear."

Draco didn't get the chance to respond as at that moment their frail house elf appeared and announced the arrival of Arianwen. She walked in a moment later looking as beautiful as ever, but there was a solemnity about her that he hadn't seen before. She smiled warmly when she saw him and he greeted her with the usual kiss on the hand, and then led her over to meet the other two women.

"Mother, this is Lady Arianwen, although I believe you've already met." The two women nodded and smiled, kissing each other on either cheek.

"Thank you for allowing me to stay with you Mrs. Malfoy, you're just as gracious as my father used to tell me." Arianwen said, smiling charmingly at her.

Draco noticed the pleased expression on his mother's face, he didn't know why it surprised him, Arianwen could probably charm a stick. "Oh it's my pleasure, darling!" Narcissa smiled agreeably at her, "and look how beautiful you are! It's no wonder my Draco is so taken with you!"

Draco groaned inwardly, trying not to blush as Arianwen raised an eyebrow at him amusedly.

"Have you met my sister?" Narcissa asked, gesturing to Bellatrix.

"No I don't believe I've had the pleasure," Arianwen said politely.

"I see. This is Mrs. Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco's aunt."

"Lovely to meet you," Arianwen said extending a hand.

Bellatrix surveyed her for a moment before shaking her hand. "So you're the girl that's been trying to undo my hard work on the Longbottoms?!" she said coolly, almost threateningly.

Draco froze, he didn't even know that his aunt knew about her potion. He glanced at his mother who looked tense, then to Arianwen. Surprisingly she didn't seemed phased at all, in fact her face was completely unreadable.

"Ah of course," Arianwen said in her usual soft tone, "I knew I'd heard your name somewhere…"

Bellatrix's eyes were becoming more and more focused on Arianwen, her smile growing creepily, Draco knew this expression well, it was the one she adopted just before casting the Cruciatus Curse. He put his hand around the handle of his wand slyly, moving instinctively closer to Arianwen.

"Yes the Longbottoms are using my potion, amongst others." Arianwen said casually. _She clearly has no idea about Aunt Bella's reputation_ , Draco thought worriedly, wishing he'd warned her about Bellatrix before she'd arrived.

"That really must have been quite the powerful Cruciatus Curse, they will certainly never recover fully."

Bellatrix grinned evilly, taking Arianwen's words as a compliment.

"I suppose I ought to be thanking you really," Arianwen drawled as Bellatrix continued to stare at her as if she were a lioness and Arianwen the prey.

"Thanking me?"

"Indeed," Arianwen nodded, the corners of her mouth twitching, "well you're doing a fine job of keeping me employed after all."

There was a long, silent pause before Bellatrix threw her head back and cackled loudly. "I like her!"

Draco took this as his opportunity to take Arianwen's arm and announce that he would show her to her room. When they had safely reached the room and he'd closed the door behind them, he turned to Arianwen.

"I'm so sorry about that, I should've warned you she'd be coming. Are you alright?" He asked, concern etched across his features.

She sat down on the edge of the large, ornately carved bed and smiled at him softly. "I'm fine, don't worry, I knew I'd meet her sooner or later."

He sat next to her and examined her face, she looked tired and heavy hearted. It made him feel quite incredibly guilty, _have I forced her into this? She doesn't look happy to be here…_

She seemed to pick up on his doubtfulness as she placed her hand over his and squeezed it. "Thank you for inviting me here, I'm sorry if I look a bit miserable, I've had a long few days."

He tilted his head, wondering whether to press her for more information, but before he'd worked out what to say, she spoke again.

"It's just odd being back home, it feels so…empty." She said softly, staring forward distantly.

Draco put an arm around her and pulled her closer, he hated seeing her so downtrodden. She looked up, her large green eyes gazing into his sorrowfully.

"I'm going to make sure that you have the best Christmas ever, okay?" He saw a smile creep over her face.

"Is it just going to be us? Or have you invited other people?" She asked quietly. He had a feeling that the 'other people' she was referring to weren't his friends but rather girls like Pansy and Astoria.

"No." he said firmly, "I only want to see you." He stood up and started pacing, trying to find the words to apologise for his behaviour last term.

"Ri," he stopped pacing, and looked at her, chewing his lip nervously, "I'm so sorry about everything last term, I completely misread it all. I really didn't want to hurt you."

He looked back at her and felt his stomach whoosh nervously, she looked annoyed. "Did you really think that I'd just be fine with you kissing all those other girls in front of me? You must have known I liked you, you're not stupid!" Her voice had risen heatedly as she looked at him with an accusatory glare.

"You kept going on about how we were just friends!" He gestured around wildly, trying to convey how confusing it'd been for him.

"I was TESTING you!" she was shouting now, unable to control her frustration. "A test that you failed by the way!"

Draco groaned loudly in annoyance, pushing his hands through his hair desperately. "Why the bloody hell couldn't you just tell me how you felt? How the hell was I meant to know you were testing me?"

"That's the point!" She spat, "I wanted to know whether you would bother waiting for me or if you would just get bored and run off to someone else. And that's exactly what you did, so I was right!" Hurt was starting to show on her face now, "I don't want to fall for someone that ends up cheating on me and leaves me heartbroken," her voice trembled with the last sentence.

Draco's face softened and he moved over to her, taking her hands in his and gazing at her imploringly. "I promise you, if we were in a relationship I would _never_ cheat on you." Her eyes widened, looking so innocently hopeful. He felt his heart beating quickly, wanting to hold her, to protect her. "I _promise_." He said again.

"Give me a second chance…please?" She paused for a while before nodding slowly, a cute smile forming on her lips.

"Okay fine, I'll give you another chance."

He beamed and picked her up, spinning her around and kissing her head sporadically. She laughed happily, her mood instantly lifted.

* * *

Draco had to do some 'training' with his aunt in the late afternoon, so Arianwen was left with Narcissa. She found herself enjoying Narcissa's company greatly, they exchanged stories about the best and worst functions they'd attended, their favourite cities and architecture, and of course, Draco.

Narcissa allowed her chuckles to die down before speaking again, Arianwen had just told her a particularly amusing story about when she'd caught Mr. Nott Snr. trying it on with Blaise's mother, and failing spectacularly.

"So Arianwen, dear, how are things going with my Draco? He seems very fond of you, he's never had anyone else over at Christmas time." Arianwen felt heat rising to her cheeks; she didn't really mind discussing it with Narcissa as she seemed to be genuinely interested in her, rather than an overbearing mother forcing her son upon her.

"Do you really think so?" She asked.

"Absolutely. Do you not see it?"

Arianwen shook her head, "not really…well sometimes I suppose…but he doesn't show it too well."

Narcissa nodded slowly, "is that what you were arguing about earlier?"

Arianwen felt herself cringe with embarrassment; she didn't know they'd been that loud. She nodded sheepishly, "um yes, there's just been some other girls…" she tailed off, not really knowing what to say.

"Ah." Narcissa nodded again in understanding, "he's just like his father." She said setting down her cup of tea in readiness for her next revelation.

"Lucius had a reputation as being a bit of a womaniser when I met him. Our parents had arranged for us to be wed, I was about your age and he was a few years older so he didn't think he had to behave until I was out of school." She said, smiling oddly at the memory, "It didn't take me long to show him the error of his ways though, and since then he's been the most devoted husband I could have ever wished for." She smiled sadly, staring off into the distance.

"It sounds like you've had a wonderful marriage," Arianwen said softly, coaxing Narcissa from her daze.

She smiled at the girl, _such a sweet young thing_. "Yes, I was very lucky that it turned out so wonderfully - but of course you don't have to worry about that because you can choose your own partner! Has Draco apologised for what he did?"

Arianwen nodded and smiled, "yes he seems quite genuinely apologetic, I think that's why he was so keen for me to stay with you over the holidays."

"Good, I should hope that now he'll be as devoted to you as Lucius was to me." She said gently, Arianwen smiled back at her, _who knew meeting your boyfriend's mum could be so nice!_

She chastised herself instantly for her mistake, _NOT my boyfriend!_

Draco and Bellatrix came back into the room, the former looking a lot more worn out than the latter. Draco sat down next to Arianwen, "sorry I was gone for so long."

She smiled, "that's okay, I've had a lovely time with your mother."

Draco looked between the two, who both wore matching irritating expressions of omniscience.

* * *

Arianwen tried her best to stifle a yawn, she was in the Malfoy's grandest sitting room with a mix of people. Narcissa, Draco and Bellatrix were all there and they had been joined by Bellatrix's husband and brother, Professor Snape had also come for dinner but didn't stick around afterwards.

Draco saw Arianwen yawn and muttered quietly, "maybe its time for you to go to bed?"

She shook her head, "no I'm fine, I don't want to leave yet!" She yawned again and he raised his eyebrows at her, smirking.

"Right, come on, you need to go to bed." He said matter-of-factly, alerting the other's to her departure. She wished them all a goodnight and followed Draco back to her room.

"So where's your room?" She said as they halted outside hers.

"Next door," he said, leaning against the door and smiling down at her handsomely, defining his strong square jaw as he did so.

"Oh right okay, will you come and see me in the morning?" She asked, allowing herself to lean against his chest lightly.

"Yeah if you want me to," he was stroking her hair now, occasionally grazing her cheek with his hand and leaving a tingly sensation each time.

She nodded brightly, looking excited, "goodnight then, Draco. See you tomorrow." She kissed him on the cheek and opened one of the doors to her room.

He smiled happily, "goodnight, beautiful. Sweet dreams." He kissed her hand and walked to his own room, smiling to himself.

* * *

 _Christmas morning…_

Arianwen was sitting in bed; opening her Christmas presents happily when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!" she called and the door opened to reveal Draco.

"Merry Christmas," he said as she tore open another present excitedly. "Having fun there?" He asked, leaning against a post with his arms crossed as he watched her open more presents, he couldn't help but find her innocence endearing as she looked at each present with wide eyes.

She stopped for a minute and smiled at him, "Merry Christmas!" She noticed that he was fully dressed while she was just wearing a silk slip, but was having too much fun to dwell on it.

"Have you found mine yet?" Draco asked, gesturing to the pile of presents at the end of her bed.

She shook her head and started to rummage through the pile, "which one is it?"

He pointed to a card, and laughed quietly at the look of obvious disappointment on her face. She read the card out loud: _"look on the balcony"._

"Oooh!" she squealed, jumping out of bed, running to the balcony and throwing the doors open. An extremely loud squeak came from the balcony and she ran back inside, jumping into Draco's arms. Narcissa and Bellatrix had also heard the noise and come in to investigate the cause.

"Archimedes! You remembered!" She pulled out of the hug so she could see his face, but kept her arms firmly placed around his neck, while his remained around her waist. "I can't believe you went back for him!" Arianwen said, staring up at Draco adoringly.

Draco nodded, enjoying her appreciation, "yeah I went back a few weeks later but he'd been sold so I had to track down his owner and buy it off him! He drove quite a hard bargain as well." Draco said laughing exasperatedly; it had been a lot of effort to go to just for an owl.

"I can't believe you did that!" she said quietly, "thank you so much, this is the best present you could've possibly given me!" They were both oblivious to Narcissa and Bellatrix, who had watched the whole scene from the doorway.

"Are you sure?" Draco said, smiling mischievously at Arianwen.

"Yes of course! That's the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me!"

Draco leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I'm taking you to Paris tomorrow."

"What?!" she exclaimed, happy tears starting to well up in her eyes, she didn't know how she could possibly thank him. She found herself moving closer and closer until she could just about feel his soft lips-

Bellatrix cleared her throat loudly, making the two teenagers jump apart and turn to the doorway. Arianwen blushed deeply, becoming aware again that she was the only one still in her nightclothes.

"Good morning you two," Narcissa said, smiling at them knowingly, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Mother."

"Merry Christmas" they said back, while Arianwen attempted to hide behind Draco.

"Perhaps you should come down to breakfast, Draco." Bellatrix ordered, grinning wickedly at them, knowing what would have happened if she hadn't interrupted them.

They left Arianwen to get dressed.

* * *

After a hearty breakfast, Arianwen and Draco went back to their respective rooms as they both had to leave the manor for a few hours. Draco was going to visit his father in Azkaban with his mother, and Arianwen was going back to Wales to visit her father's grave.

She changed into a set of expensive black robes, they had her family crest on the breast and fitted snugly. She draped her favourite black winter cloak over her shoulders and fastened it carefully. The cloak had been her mother's, it was lined with dyed black sheepskin and the outer layer was made of a thick but soft weave. The edges of the cloak were lined with a luxurious black faux fur and the same trim was used to line the hood. Arianwen looked at herself in the long mirror in her room, she felt she looked the part. To finish off the look she took a dragon shaped pin from her trunk and fitted it onto the right side of her cloak. She picked up the present that she'd carefully wrapped for Draco and headed downstairs to meet him in the entrance hall.

"Oh Arianwen darling, you look so elegant! Your father would be so proud of the young woman you're becoming." Narcissa said kindly, kissing the young girl's cheek in a motherly fashion.

Arianwen swallowed and nodded, managing a weak smile, "thank you." She whispered.

She felt a comforting arm rest upon her shoulder, Draco's face was full of worry. "Are you sure you don't want to hang around here until we're back so I can come with you?" He asked softly.

She shook her head and smiled at him, grateful for his concern, "no that's okay. I want to see him on my own for a bit first." She still hadn't been to visit her father's grave, she just hadn't been able to bring herself to do it, feeling as though doing so would be to confirm the painful reality.

"Okay." Draco said unwillingly, "but if you're not here when we get back then I'm coming after you."

Arianwen nodded, "thanks." She felt inside her robe and pulled out the present she had for him.

"Here, I meant to give this to you earlier but I was a bit too excited" she blushed at the thought of her childish elation earlier that morning.

Draco smiled in surprise, as though he hadn't expected anything, and started unwrapping the present.

"I'm sorry!" Arianwen said quickly, before he could see what was inside. "I couldn't afford to buy you anything decent…" she trailed off, looking ashamed.

Narcissa looked over Draco's shoulder as he finished unwrapping the gift, they gasped in unison. She had given him a beautiful, ancient dagger. Its sheath was silver with intricate Welsh gold detailing running down it, folding round dark, garnet coloured rubies. The handle was also encrusted with rubies and the top of the handle had been gilded into the shape of a dragon.

"Ri, I-I can't accept this, it must've been in your family for centuries" Draco said, looking at Arianwen in astonishment.

She smiled and nodded, "yes, it originally belonged to King Arthur but he gave it to one of my ancestors, Llewelyn Gwydion as a tribute for his valour in battle. Look," she said, pulling the dagger out of its sheath carefully and pointing to a horizontal engraving just below the handle on the flat edge of the blade.

The engraving said 'Arthur Pendragon' and below it was 'Llewelyn Gwydion' and many more names, all ending in Gwydion. Written vertically at the point of the blade was the name 'Dewi Gwydion'.

"This belonged to your father?" he asked quickly.

"Yes, but I thought you would appreciate it more than me," Arianwen said quietly, "it was forged in dragon's breath so its indestructible," she said, as if she were trying to convince herself that it wasn't a completely disappointing present.

"It's incredible…but I can't accept it Ri." He held the blade out for her to take.

Narcissa was proud of her son, he'd come a long way from the possibly spoiled child that she'd raised.

Arianwen shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips, "well then tough because it's chosen you now. See?" she pointed to the orangey-red light that was emitting from the underside of the blade, Draco flipped it over and was amazed to see his own name at the top.

She smiled at him warmly, "you'll have to keep it now." She glanced down at her watch, "right I'd better be off. Look after your mother won't you Draco?"

He was surprised when Arianwen reached out and squeezed his mother's arm rather than his own, "I'm sure Mr. Malfoy be absolutely delighted to see you both."

She nodded to them with a look of solemn determination in her eyes, and walked purposefully out of the manor.

* * *

Arianwen arrived at the gate to the Carmarthenshire village cemetery, where her father had been laid to rest alongside her mother.

She pushed open the little black iron gate and walked down a long winding path. The cemetery was normally full of beautiful flowers and peaceful bird song but today it was covered in a blanket of crunchy white snow. She knew the route well as she'd been to visit her mother's grave with her father on many occasions but since her father's death it had been different. It wasn't as though she'd fooled herself into thinking that her parents were still alive, in fact she'd made peace with her mother's death long ago but this time it felt unresolved… _and I like it that way._ To get closure would surely be to let go, and Arianwen wasn't ready for that yet.

She walked into a clearing and paused, just ten metres away were the gravestones of her family, her mother and father's headstones closest to her. Her heartbeat quickened as she approached her mother's headstone.

"Merry Christmas, mother." She brushed some snow away from the engraving on the stone and smiled sadly. "I hope you're both peaceful, now that you can lie together again."

She took a deep breath and looked at her father's headstone, it was just as she'd requested from the local monumental mason. She walked over to it and stood in front of it, a painful lump forming in her throat. "Hello Daddy." She fell to her knees, ignoring the sharp pang of the cold snow.

"I'm sorry its taken me so long to come to you," she whispered, the horrible lump in her throat growing larger, forcing her voice to sound hoarse, "I was trying to be strong and I knew I couldn't be if I saw you… I've never been able to be strong in front of you, you always do it for me."

She shook her head angrily, "you see! Even now I'm talking as though you're still here with me, but you're not! You left me!" She dug her fingernails into her thigh painfully, trying to distract herself from the feelings of hurt and betrayal coursing through her whole body.

"Why did you leave me?" she whispered, her eyes blurring from un-spilled tears.

"You know, sometimes I forget that you're gone – I go to write you a letter or I run into your bedroom…and then I stop and I remember, and the pain comes back, only it gets worse every time." Hot tears streamed down her cheeks, warming them for a few seconds.

"I even wrote myself a Christmas card from you…I don't even remember doing it. I-I don't remember anything, daddy. Why don't I remember what happened to you?" She was struggling to speak now, it felt like an overwhelming force was trying to rip her throat from her neck.

She had to voice the fear that had been crushing her ever since his death, "what if I forget you completely?" She couldn't control herself any longer and let out a scream of anguish, completely oblivious to the crunching of footsteps behind her.

She folded her head into her knees, trembling hands covering her face, and sobbed desperately. When she could no longer breathe, she forced herself to sit upright again, inhaling the bitter air fiercely. She wiped the tears from her face and stared at the headstone for a few minutes before speaking again, a little more control returning to her voice.

"That's the first and last time I can allow myself to cry for you, Father, you raised me to have more control, and I will. Don't misunderstand me though, I am mourning for you…and I will probably never stop…but I'm going to find out what Uncle Dafydd did to you and I _will_ avenge your death."

She rose to her feet and took one last long look at his grave, "I won't say goodbye, not yet." She kissed her fingertips and pressed it to his headstone, "I love you." She felt the urge to scream and cry but took in a deep breath and composed herself. She turned around slowly and was surprised to see multiple pairs of feet, lifting her head she gasped. There must have been at least two hundred people standing before her, each with their wand in hand, lit, and pointing to the sky in remembrance.

Arianwen couldn't believe it, she recognised the faces of families from Carmarthenshire village, Brianne was there too, and… "Draco" she whispered. She felt as though her knees were going to give way, her hand flew up to cover her mouth as she let out an agonised sob. She saw a figure move towards her quickly, and felt Draco's arms wrap around her, holding her steady.

"Lady Arianwen," a booming voice spoke for all to hear, Arianwen recognised the voice as that of the chairman of the village committee, "the weight of the loss of the Duke has been felt all across the county. Your father was an incredible leader, he was kind, he was loyal, and his ferocious love for us all was his greatest attribute. We came here today so that you would know that your loss is our loss, your pain is our pain, and we will mourn him together."

"Together." The crowd repeated solemnly. Arianwen looked at Draco uncertainly, tears welling in her eyes, he looked back at her with an awful, sorrowful expression. It was as though her pain was seeping in to him as he held her. He nodded to her encouragingly and she moved away, walking towards the chairman and taking his hands.

"Thank you, Mr. Davies. I can't possibly express what this means to me. I am truly fortunate to be able to serve you all." She looked around at other members of the crowd, some were crying, others looked stricken with grief and sympathy for the poor orphan girl.

Arianwen heard Brianne's voice from her side, "we're having a gathering in the village hall, you should come."

She turned to her best friend and smiled, "that sounds perfect."

Brianne smiled back softly, then nodded her head towards Draco, who was still standing where she left him, "you should bring him too, I think everyone is dying to find out more about him." Arianwen laughed softly and motioned to Draco to come over.

* * *

Hours, and a few large glasses of mead later, Arianwen was sitting around a large circular table chatting to some of her subjects. She noticed Brianne and Draco were talking and laughing a few tables away, and felt a small smile form on her face. Brianne seemed to feel Arianwen's gaze upon her and caught her eye, waving at her to join them.

"Please excuse me," Arianwen said politely to the group at the table, "thank you all so much for coming today." They all smiled admiringly at her, pleased that someone of her status was so willing to interact with them on a close, personal level.

Arianwen placed a hand on Draco's shoulder to alert him to her presence as she took the seat beside him. "You two look like you're having fun," she commented, smiling.

"Yes indeed, Draco was just telling me about when you ran into each other on that train that takes you to school." The two of them exchanged a look of mirth as Arianwen groaned.

"Yeah I was a little off my A-game." She muttered, embarrassed.

"Just a little," Draco teased, taking her hand and squeezing it slightly. She smiled grudgingly at him, unable to resist his playful grin.

"So how has Christmas at the Malfoy's been so far, love?" Brianne asked.

Arianwen smiled at Draco and then turned her gaze to Brianne, "it's been lovely so far, Draco's mother has been absolutely wonderful!"

"Oh yes, didn't I meet her at that party before?" Brianne asked, wrinkling her forehead slightly as she tried to remember.

Arianwen nodded, "yeah that's right, it was a few years ago now I think."

"Yes I remember, gosh she was _so_ beautiful!" Brianne gushed.

Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head, laughing at how similar the two girls were, "don't tell her that, I think she can live without the ego boost."

"Draco!" Arianwen exclaimed, pushing his arm in disbelief.

Brianne laughed and rose to her feet, "I'll go get us some more drinks."

Arianwen looked back at Draco, who was still holding her hand, stroking it gently with his thumb. "Thanks for coming today, Draco. How did everything go with your father?"

Draco nodded, keeping a neutral expression on his face, this wasn't the place to go into it in too much detail, "it was fine, better than I expected actually."

She could tell she wasn't going to get any more information out of him at this point so just nodded, "that's good."

Draco's grey eyes were fixed on her, full of concern and understanding, "you know if you ever want to talk about anything…about your father…I'm here."

She smiled, grateful to be experiencing this caring side to his personality, "thank you. I don't think I will, but thanks."

Draco frowned, "you don't have to deal with everything on your own, Ri. I'm not going to leave you, even if we have some huge fall out I'll always be here for you."

She sighed slightly, feeling her usually strong guard waiver. She looked into his eyes, trying to read his expression, he looked almost- _loving?_ She thought in confusion. _I think he really does care_ , said a small voice in her head.

Her eyes widened as she felt an incredible pulsating coursing through her, Draco Malfoy had well and truly won her affections. "Okay, thank you." She whispered. He kissed her forehead gently and put a comforting arm around her waist, pulling her under his protection.

* * *

A/N: Sorry that this update was so delayed, I ended up rewriting it a few times - especially when I read StarletSpotlight's review from the last chapter! They'll be off to Paris soon so should be a fair amount of one-on-one time (Pottermouth17 ;) ) Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favourited, its been good motivation to continue writing :D


	10. Chapter Ten: Paris

**Chapter Ten: Paris**

Draco and Arianwen arrived back at Malfoy manor at about five thirty in the afternoon, Arianwen had considerably more to drink than Draco and had been hiccoughing at random intervals. They had a nice Christmas dinner with Draco's family and had retired to the games room. Draco was playing wizards chess with his uncle, Narcissa was conversing with Rabastan, and Arianwen was deep in conversation with Bellatrix.

"I assume you're aware of Draco's…allegiances?" Bellatrix asked quietly.

"Yes, he told me he's working on something but he didn't say what, obviously," Arianwen said flatly.

Bellatrix smirked, "and that's one of the things that attracted you to him I suppose? Must be nice to be with a Malfoy, let alone the only one of his friends that's been trusted with the dark mark…"

 _You couldn't be more wrong_ , Arianwen noted, she knew plenty of men that had higher status than Draco and that weren't branded like him. However, many years of diplomatic training led her to remain silent, simply inclining her head to the other woman.

"Ah, are your ears burning, nephew?" Draco had clearly given up on the chess game, as his uncle was looking rather smug and had challenged Rabastan to a game instead.

"Should they be?" He drawled, looking between his aunt and Arianwen.

"Your Aunt Bellatrix was just pondering the main reasons that I might find you attractive." Arianwen said emotionlessly, looking at Draco carefully.

"Oh?" he said, looking surprised, "and what did you say?" He smirked at her confidently.

"I said nothing." She said coolly, her words wiping the smirk from his face. Bellatrix looked between them, trying to work out the balance of power in their relationship.

"I said it was your status with the Dark Lord, Draco." His aunt said proudly.

Arianwen raised an eyebrow at Draco challengingly, her expression informing him that she didn't hold the same sentiment as his aunt.

"Come on," he said, holding his arm out to Arianwen, "I'll walk you to your room."

She smiled politely and took it, "goodnight everyone." Bellatrix pouted, irritated that she hadn't got to hear Arianwen's input but she let them go without protest.

They had walked in silence to her room, each lost in their own thoughts. When they reached the doorway to her room, Draco turned to her, ready to wish her goodnight but she interrupted. "Would you like to come in for a bit?"

He hesitated, not wanting to get himself into a situation where he may end up compromising her propriety. She opened the door and walked into the room, turning back when he didn't follow. She frowned, looking disappointed, "you don't have to, of course." She said quietly.

He shook his head, _that bloody face_ , he thought irritatedly, he couldn't resist her whenever she showed any sign of sadness or disappointment. He walked in and shut the door after him, smiling slightly as he witnessed Arianwen's expression brighten.

"Shall we sit on the balcony?" She asked. Draco nodded and they made their way out onto the balcony, they sat down on a cushioned bench and looked out over the grounds.

"Your gardens are lovely," Arianwen said lightly. Every tree was decorated with candles that were suspended around its branches, magically enchanted to not blow out. It lit the gardens with a warm glow, producing a very appealing 'Christmassy' vibe.

"I'm sure they're no better than the gardens around your house." Draco said diplomatically.

"Houses" she corrected, smiling at him teasingly.

Draco laughed, "oh so its like that is it? You think you can beat me?"

"I don't _think_ , I know it." She tried to keep a straight face but the corners of her mouth twitched, giving her away.

"That sounds like a challenge to me."

Arianwen smiled again, nodding once to agree.

"So how would you propose to prove that you're more accomplished than I?" Draco stared at the moon distractedly, trying to think of the best way to beat her.

"Oh well there's so many ways I could prove it to you!" She teased, "how about something active, ice skating maybe? Or riding?"

"As in Quidditch?"

"No," she laughed, "I mean horse riding."

"Definitely not." He frowned, trying to think of other ways to prove his worth, "okay, how about dancing then? The best dancer wins and the other will have to eternally acknowledge the superiority of the winner."

Arianwen laughed, "okay you've got a deal. Why did you pick dancing though?"

Draco kept a straight face, "well I saw that photo of you dancing at Madam Louisa's and…well, it should be a pretty easy victory for me." He winked at her playfully and she threw her head back and laughed.

"You're on, Malfoy!"

He noticed her teeth chattering and her arms start to shake slightly. "Wait here, I'll be five minutes." He said, getting up and striding back into her room.

True to his word, Draco returned five minutes later with two mugs of hot chocolate and a couple of blankets.

"Here," he said, passing her one of the mugs and setting the other down on the balcony's banister. He placed one blanket over her legs and another around her shoulders.

"Thank you," she said softly, smiling at him appreciatively as he sat back down. "Do you want to come under?" She asked, feeling a little guilty that he was blanketless.

He smiled slightly and arranged himself carefully under the blankets, so as not to spill his hot chocolate in the process. He put an arm around her shoulders casually and was pleased when he felt her shuffle a little closer to him.

"So did you like Brianne?"

Draco chuckled, "yeah she was funny, I understand why Blaise is so keen. How come your other friends weren't there though?"

Arianwen shrugged non commitally, "I dunno', it seemed like a last minute thing, one of the villagers probably spotted me in the cemetery and called the others to a meeting. The boys don't live in Carmarthenshire with Brianne and I though, so they probably didn't know about it."

Draco nodded, _well I'm glad I was there over that Gwyn guy anyway_.

"And how did things actually go with your father?" Arianwen asked softly, noticing Draco's eyes instantly become cooler and guarded.

After a long pause he spoke, "it was okay. He looked pretty worn out but he was pleased enough to see us so I guess there's that…"

Arianwen wasn't quite sure what she could say to make him feel better, she'd also seen the way dementors effected people and how empty they became. "I'm sure he'll be out soon enough, honey."

Draco's face remained stony, "what makes you think that?"

"Well your Aunt Bella escaped didn't she?"

"She didn't escape," he said flatly, "she was broken out on the Dark Lord's commands and he won't do that for Father unless…" he tailed off broodingly, glaring at the moon as though he hoped it would combust then and there.

He felt her fingers entwine with his own and looked down to see her gazing at him with a look of understanding. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?"

He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, "you're already helping more than you know. Don't be offended if I'm a bit secretive about it, I just want to keep you safe."

Arianwen opened her mouth to protest but then shut it again, deciding to let this one slide. Instead she leaned closer and planted a kiss on his cheek lightly, ignoring the flutter in her stomach as she did so.

Draco traced an invisible pattern over her back and she closed her eyes, enjoying their closeness. After a while, Arianwen's breathing became slower and deeper, _she looks peaceful_. He kissed her head softly and whispered, "Merry Christmas, Arianwen", she snuggled closer to him as she slept. Draco lifted her carefully and placed her on her bed, he removed her socks and shoes and carefully pulled off her robes. He decided against removing the dress that she was wearing, he didn't want to give her any more reasons to fall out with him. He tucked her in and brushed her hair behind her ear before kissing her one last time and leaving the room.

* * *

Arianwen awoke the next day feeling wonderfully content, she pushed her duvet off and moved to the bathroom, quickly checking her appearance in the mirror before she showered. She blushed as she realised that she was still wearing her dress from last night, _oh god…Draco must've put me to bed, so embarrassing!_

Trying to make herself feel better, she took a long shower and thought about the events of the previous day. Her thoughts went to her father and she felt the same pang of loneliness that she always had when she thought of him. It was odd…not remembering her father's death, but she had come to realise that this might be a good thing for the time being, she didn't want to experience any intense emotion at the moment. She thought of Draco and how supportive he'd been, a small smile crept across her face, _he's definitely turned things around for himself!_

She wrapped a towel around herself and walked back into her room, singing softly as she went.

"Good morning." Draco's amused voice cut through Arianwen's thoughts like a knife, she jumped, clinging on to her towel for safety.

"Draco! What are you doing here?!" Arianwen squeaked, trying to hide behind the nearest sofa.

Draco chuckled annoyingly, "sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to check if your ready to go to Paris."

Arianwen just looked at him in bewilderment, then down at herself in her towel, _isn't it obvious that I'm not ready?!_

Draco seemed to understand her train of thought, his eyes danced with amusement as he watched Arianwen become more flustered.

"I'll leave you to get dressed," he smirked, making his way out of the room.

Arianwen sighed, "wait!" Draco turned around, his grey eyes meeting hers curiously.

"I-I don't know what to wear!" She muttered awkwardly. "You haven't told me what we're going to be doing."

Draco inclined his head to her, "indeed, and I'm afraid I'm still not going to tell you just yet," he smiled at her teasingly as her frown deepened.

She opened her mouth to protest but before she could speak, he held up a finger to silence her and walked over to her wardrobe, examining its contents. He pulled out a beautiful golden cloak, "this will be perfect."

Arianwen took the cloak from him and nodded, "okay then, I'll meet you outside." She said, gesturing to her door.

He lent down and kissed her cheek softly, causing her skin to tingle and stomach to knot excitedly. "Don't be long." He whispered, dragging his lips away from her face gently. She nodded again, unable to form an actual sentence.

When the door had firmly clicked shut behind him, Arianwen dried her hair and pulled on some tightly fitting dark blue jeans, a woolly white jumper and some light grey suede heeled boots. She fastened the golden cloak on top and applied some light make up, opting for a bold red lipstick to enhance her plump lips.

She left her room and made her way down to the entrance hall, where Draco was waiting patiently for her. He couldn't help but stare at her, _she could make anything look good_ , he mused. Despite his thoughts, he kept his expression neutral and held out his arm for her to take. "Shall we go?"

She smiled prettily at him, "yes, let's."

* * *

They appeared in Paris a few minutes later, having used the flu network in Draco's drawing room to reach a common fireplace in the upperclass wizarding village at the heart of Paris.

Arianwen sighed happily, gazing around at the bustling village. It was so picturesque, covered in a blanket of snow with lanterns strewn along the street, and mistletoe hanging from the branches of overhanging trees.

"Come on," Draco's voice disturbed her thoughts, he led her along the street and into a quaint café where they were seated next to the window.

"This is lovely," Arianwen remarked, looking around at the other people enjoying their breakfast and sipping coffee, it was all very romantic. "So what are we going to do in Paris today?"

"Well I thought I could show you a few of my favourite places here, we'll get some lunch, and then do whatever you like before this evening."

"This evening?" Arianwen repeated, eyes growing slightly wider, "what's happening this evening?"

Draco smiled teasingly at her, enjoying her excitement, "ah, now that would be telling!"

She laughed and rolled her eyes at him playfully. A waitress approached the table and asked them what they'd like, speaking in French.

Draco responded, also in French, ordering them both coffees and poached egg on toast. He looked back at Arianwen, a pleased expression on his face.

"Very impressive." Arianwen said in French. Draco's smug smile faltered, he'd clearly thought that his knowledge of the language would impress her, not expecting her to be able to speak it as well.

"Do you know many languages?" Draco asked, his voice remaining cool.

"Not really. Welsh is my first language obviously, and then there's just English and French, I wish I knew more though. How about you?"

Draco shrugged casually, "just French, German, Dutch and Bulgarian, aside from English."

Arianwen smiled, _now I'm impressed_ , "just." She repeated sarcastically.

After breakfast, Draco took Arianwen to an expensive dressmakers. When Arianwen saw the designer's sign, 'Jean-Louis Bernard' she felt a pang of embarrassment.

"Draco," she said, putting a hand on his arm to stop him, "I-um…my accounts have been frozen so…" She tailed off, not making eye contact for fear of rejection.

"Everything's on me today, Ri. I promised to give you the best Christmas, didn't I?" He said gently, tilting her chin up to force her to look at him.

She nodded, "well yes you did, but that doesn't mean you have to buy me things! I really don't want to be a burden on you-"

Draco shook his head, "-enough. I won't take no for an answer. Besides, you'll need something to wear for our plans tonight," he smiled mysteriously and pulled her into the shop before she could protest.

A few hours later, they emerged from the shop. Draco seemed to have had a specific idea in mind for what he wanted Arianwen to wear and made the tailor try multiple different options before he got it right. He'd eventually selected a long shimmering silver dress, it was a similar material to the one Arianwen had been wearing in the picture from Madam Lousia's. The dress was made up of a silver slip that clung to Arianwen's body, it was topped with a floaty sheer silver fabric; the bodice was arranged in a sweetheart neckline with a satin silver piece of material tied across her waist and into a delicate bow behind her. At the back, the top part of the dress was made from an intricate French lace, and wrapped around to make small cap sleeves at the front. The whole effect was mesmerising, so much so that Arianwen knew it couldn't have been remotely cheap, she made a mental note to pay him back one day.

They went for a light lunch, and then Draco took her to some of his favourite places in Paris. They visited several art galleries and an old wizarding museum, ending up in a small, packed book shop. Arianwen had loved every second of it, it was nice to see Draco so invested in something rather than his usual unphased exterior. He had been like a tour guide throughout the day, explaining why he preferred the attractions he'd shown her over other more commonly popular ones. His enthusiasm was incredibly endearing and the more time she spent alone with Draco, the more captivating she found him.

* * *

After a romantic dinner in a little brasserie, Draco took them to a hotel at the centre of town, where he'd arranged a lounge for them to get ready before their mysterious plans that evening.

Arianwen went to the ladies bathroom and dressing area and found the dress they'd bought earlier, draped over one of the chairs. She changed into it carefully and looked at herself in the mirror, wondering how to have her hair. She opted to have it in a sleek flowing style that curled bouncily at the ends. She tucked one side behind her ear so her defined cheekbones became more apparent. She applied some shimmering golden eyeshadow and used some new mascara that Brianne had bought her for Christmas, it made her lashes look even longer and thicker than usual. The finishing touch was her lipstick, which was a subtle reddy-pink shade, just darker than her natural lip colour to enhance them as naturally as possible.

When she emerged into the main lounge, Arianwen saw Draco leaning slightly against the wall opposite the door she had just come through. He looked extremely impressive, dressed in a fine white shirt that clung to his muscular form, well tailored black suit trousers and a thick dark green robe, embellished with silver thread along the hem.

"Good evening, Draco" she greeted softly, smiling elegantly at him.

A small smile formed on his lips as he took in her appearance, "good evening," he walked over and kissed her hand gently, "I have a present for you." He pulled a large flat black box from his pocket and gave it to her.

"Draco, I can't possibly accept anything else from you!"

"Yes you can" his voice was firm." Just open it," he said pushing the box closer to her.

Arianwen flicked open its catch carefully and opened it, she gasped. Inside lay a twinkling diamond necklace, it's chain was made up of small semicircular diamonds, with others weaving along its length in a vine like fashion. At the base of the chain was a large teardrop shaped diamond, which sparkled brightly from all angles, such an expensive cut would have cost a fortune.

Arianwen stared at him in shock, opening her mouth to deny such a lavish gift but something about the look in his eyes told her not to, he seemed to really want her to have it. Draco took the necklace from its case and placed the box down on a side table, using his spare hand to steer her towards a large full length mirror at the back of the room. He positioned her in front of him and carefully brushed her hair over one shoulder, she shivered slightly at his touch. He fastened the necklace behind her neck and put her hair back in place, brushing his lips against her cheek as he did so. "There," he whispered, placing an arm around her waist, "you're perfect."

They gazed at each other from the reflection of the mirror, each admiring how well suited they looked together.

"Draco, I-" Arianwen was struggling to find the right words to thank him for his efforts that day, she turned to face him but kept their bodies close. "Thank you…for everything, I really don't deserve any of it." She whispered, eyes wide with gratitude.

"Arianwen," he said firmly, taking her delicate hands in his protectively, "you deserve all the happiness I can possibly give you."

She smiled at his words, eyes glossing over with tears, it was a bittersweet moment as she new he was referring to the emptiness she felt from the loss of her parents. They leaned closer instinctively, their lips just touching…

"Mr Malfoy!" The voice of one of the hotel staff interrupted them along with three loud knocks.

"Noooo…" Draco groaned quietly, his lips still against Arianwen's. With a long sigh, he pulled away from her and went to answer the door.

They were escorted from the hotel by a member of the hotel's staff. He led them towards one of the many elegant horse drawn carriages in the courtyard and clambered onto the bench at the front to steer the horses.

"My lady," Draco held his hand out chivalrously to help Arianwen climb into the carriage.

She smiled at him as she took his hand and took a seat in the carriage. They were taken past most of the major sights in Paris and eventually arrived at an historic looking building, probably built in the times of Ancient Rome.

Arianwen wondered what they'd be doing at such a marvellous building; her confusion must have been evident on her face as she heard Draco laugh softly from the other side of the carriage.

"We're going to watch the French National Orchestra, they're meant to be one of the best in the world."

"Ooh!" Arianwen exclaimed in delight, "what a wonderful idea, thank you!"

As they walked through the grand hall and up the stairs to their seats, Arianwen stared at the intricate paintings covering the ceilings in awe.

"It's quite beautiful isn't it," Draco mused, following Arianwen's gaze to the cherubim depicted above them.

"It really is, I love French Architecture so much, I wish there were more buildings like it back home."

He nodded in agreement. "Would you like to live in France?" He asked, _because you would love my family's estate here._

"Oh I would love to of course, but I don't know if I could go so far from Wales, I wouldn't want to abandon my duties!"

"Ah I see, we'll just have to holiday here then." He kept a straight face but his eyes twinkled teasingly.

She laughed, "Draco! Planning our future already, are you?"

"Well with such an intelligent, kind hearted woman on my arm, can you really blame me?" He gave her his most charming smile, causing her to blush deeply.

"You really must stop being so charming, Mr Malfoy." Arianwen said, eyelashes fluttering coyly.

"Why would I do that?" Draco's eyes seemed to be boring into her soul, trying to read her.

Arianwen's lips parted as she stared into his steel grey eyes, unable to break his gaze, "because I'll end up falling madly in love with you."

She spoke without thinking and her eyes widened as she realised what she'd said. Surprisingly, Draco didn't seem to mind her statement at all, in fact he smiled softly, giving her the same look that he'd given her on Christmas Day in Carmarthenshire. He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear, "then I'd better continue."

Arianwen's stomach erupted in butterflies, her heart jumping with joy and excitement.

The concert was every bit as incredible as Draco had hoped, they were playing a long symphony that had started out gut wrenchingly tragic but had now moved to a romantic concerto. He watched as Arianwen sighed contentedly and sat back in her chair with her eyes closed, allowing the melody to wash over her. The warm light of the dimly lit lantern above her was reflecting off the necklace he'd given her, making it sparkle gently. His eyes moved down to her chest, the light highlighting her cleavage as it rose and fell with her slow breaths, he gulped, trying to ignore the tightening he felt in his body every time they were in close quarters.

 _Merlin, how does she have this effect on me? Control yourself for god's sake!_

* * *

When the orchestra had concluded their performance for the interval, Draco guided Arianwen through to a large ballroom where couples were dancing and other men and women stood in groups, talking merrily and sipping wine and champagne.

Everyone clapped politely as the tune finished and the dancing ceased, Draco turned to Arianwen and bowed, "may I have the next dance?"

Arianwen took his hand and curtsied, "of course."

They moved elegantly onto the dance floor and waited for the next waltz to begin. When the music began again, Draco held her tightly and led her around the room assertively. They glided along gracefully, each executing their steps perfectly. Draco could feel her heart beating through her chest as they went and could smell her perfume as they span around, to say he was entranced by her would be an understatement. When the dance ended, Arianwen and Draco's eyes locked, both looking intensely at each other. It was as though a great wave of calmness came over him as he gazed into her soft green eyes, he felt his stomach dancing with anticipation, wanting to kiss her.

Their eye contact was broken as she curtsied delicately, he bowed and they walked off the dance floor, greeted by the admiring smiles and claps of those watching.

"I think it might be a draw, you know," Arianwen said softly, squeezing his arm.

"What?" He was still in a daze, "oh, our competition! Yes indeed." No longer bothered by the outcome of their playful competition, he gestured to a nearby balcony and she nodded in understanding.

It was refreshing to be met by the crisp evening air on the balcony. Arianwen broke away from his arm and walked over to the balcony's edge.

"Wow," she muttered in awe, "the view is unbelievable. Look, Draco, come and see!"

He walked over to her, looking out over the River Seine, where the reflections of the street lights were bouncing off it enchantingly. "So would you count the evening as a success so far?" He asked casually.

She turned around to face him and smiled, "how could I not? You're very good at this Draco, I suppose you've had a fair amount of practise on Pansy or others like her?" Her smile faltered at those last words, her eyes growing wide with her expected disappointment at his response.

"No, never. This is my first ever voluntary date."

Her smile grew again and she moved closer, planting a small kiss on his cheek, "clearly you're just naturally wonderful then."

He felt himself laughing at this, he put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, kissing her forehead softly. She tilted her head upwards so that their eyes met momentarily before hers fluttered closed, his lips moving slowly downwards to meet hers…finally, they met. It was the most tender kiss either of them had ever experienced, he caressed her cheek with his spare hand, hearing her make the softest of moans as their kiss grew deeper and deeper.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello everyone, sorry for taking so long to upload this chapter. I'm currently travelling about so won't be able to update as regularly, but will be back to normal by September time. I'll do as much as I can though! Let me know what you think of the new chapter :)


	11. Chapter Eleven: Testing Boundaries

**Chapter Eleven: Testing Boundaries**

What felt like a blissful eternity later, their lips parted and they gazed at each other once again, both smiling contentedly.

"This has been the most perfect Christmas ever." She whispered, pressing her lips against his gently. He put a hand behind her head, somehow managing to pull her even closer. She moved her hands up his chest slowly, enjoying the feel of his abs beneath her fingers and eventually allowed them to rest behind his neck.

Draco rested his forehead against hers softly, closing his eyes in contentment, "hopefully it'll be the first of many."

He spoke without thinking and instantly regretted it, _Draco Malfoy does not swoon_ , he reminded himself. However, when he opened his eyes to see the look of absolute adoration she gave him, he found himself not minding quite so much.

* * *

The next few days was spent in blissful tranquility; Draco had taken Arianwen to see the estate's peacocks, they'd dined out at a fancy restaurant in Wiltshire, where everyone seemed to know who he was, and Mrs Malfoy had suggested that Draco take Arianwen on a little tour of Wiltshire. She'd been surprised by how well received they had been, considering the recent press coverage on the Malfoy's. They went horseback riding in Lacock, visited some charming abbeys and gardens in Malmesbury, and popped by Amesbury – Draco's favourite historical town. They'd even gone running in Royal Wootten Basset and stopped of for tea and a little café that Mrs Malfoy had recommended. Arianwen had enjoyed every minute of it, especially as Draco had started to open up about his childhood memories, recounting stories of his mischievousness. He'd been so attentive and kind that she found herself in a state of constant euphoria, he had certainly not been acting like the callous Draco Malfoy that Blaise had warned her about.

She didn't know how to express her appreciation in words so instead showered him in physical affection; kissing him as often as she could, massaging his back, running her fingers through his hair, and wrapping her arms around him. It was like something from a romance novel…not that it lasted.

Arianwen was awoken at around one in the morning on New Year's Eve to the sound of a great crash in the corridor outside her room. She tentatively poked her head out of the door, only to see Draco's hunched form lit by the light from her wand. He was hurriedly picking up a lamp that he'd knocked over and jumped at the sound of her voice.

"Draco? What are you doing up?" She moved towards him, shivering slightly from the chill in the corridor. "Wait, why are you dressed?"

He placed the lamp back on its table and slowly turned round to face her, "I-uh…I have to go."

"What? Now? Where on earth do you need to be at this hour?" Before she had even reached the end of her sentence, she knew the answer. He had been summoned to Lord Voldemort, his face said it all.

"Oh no, Draco, you've been called away to _him_ haven't you?"

He nodded slowly, his face was unnervingly calm but Arianwen saw a small glint of fear in his eyes before he'd managed to fully shut that down too.

"Ri, I've gotta' go now. I'm sorry, I promise I'll come back as soon as I can." He kissed her on her forehead before turning and quickly striding down the stairs to the front doors.

"Draco, wait!" Arianwen ran after him and managed to grab his forearm before he opened the doors.

"Be careful, won't you?" Her eyes were full of fear and she was sure that if she didn't have a hold of his arms, her hands would be shaking too.

He pulled her closer, then leant down and kissed her intensely, as though it were their last. "I will. Now go back to bed and stop worrying!"

"Draco, darling? What's going on?" Mrs Malfoy appeared behind Arianwen, looking concerned.

"I have to go!" There was the slightest twinge of panic in his voice now.

His mother nodded in understanding, putting a hand on Arianwen's shoulder to encourage her to let Draco go.

Arianwen bit her lip, _I feel like I'm sending him off to his execution_ , her worry was clearly apparent on her face as Draco kissed her forehead again before walking out of the door. He took a few steps and faltered, turning back to the two women.

"It's okay darling, I'll look after her." Mrs Malfoy said, smiling at her son encouragingly.

He nodded once and gave her a weak smile, then continued walking until he was out of sight.

"Come on, dear, let's go and have a cup of tea." Narcissa said gently, steering Arianwen to the drawing room, which was the nearest option for them.

She ordered a house elf to start a fire and get some tea, then sat down in a high backed Royal-turquoise armchair. Arianwen took the seat opposite and stared into the fire, hoping that Draco would appear from the flames.

"It gets easier," Mrs Malfoy said to the young woman, "after you see him come home fine a few times."

Arianwen nodded, trying to stop thinking of the worst case scenario, "so you don't worry so much now?"

Narcissa smiled sadly, "no, dear. You'll always worry but you just get used to the feeling, I suppose."

Arianwen nodded, looking at the woman before her. She still looked regal now, even in her night dress, although there was a frailty to her that Arianwen hadn't noticed before.

She reached out and took Mrs Malfoy's hand, squeezing it comfortingly, "I'm sure they'll both be fine in the end." The older woman nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.

Arianwen squeezed her hand again before releasing it, she looked to the fireplace to give Narcissa the chance to wipe her eyes. The elf brought the tea over to their table by the fire and Arianwen dismissed him, choosing to pour the tea herself.

"My governess always used to say I was horrible at pouring tea," Arianwen chuckled lightly, "but I never understood the point, I always used to complain that the elves should do it. She still made me learn though, said I shouldn't be such a brat. She was right, of course."

Narcissa laughed, "yes my mother made me learn as well, she hit me once because I embarrassed her in front of the French Ambassador, I spilt tea all over the floor and it ruined his favourite suede shoes."

Arianwen laughed, the thought of Narcissa doing anything imperfectly was difficult to fathom but amusing nonetheless.

"Do you visit France often?" She attempted to keep the subject matter light.

"Oh yes, I like to visit a few different European cities when I can but we only have an estate in France. I'll have to take you in the summer, we can walk through the vineyard, it's quite lovely."

"That would be wonderful, thank you." She smiled warmly at Narcissa, who mirrored the gesture. She didn't know what she was more touched by: the fact that Narcissa wanted to take her on holiday, or that she was acknowledging Arianwen's relationship with Draco and expecting it last to the summer at least.

"Your mother was French, I believe?"

"That's right, yes. She was a Countess of Monaco, but she took my father's title when she married him and we-" she paused, " _I_ have no claim on that now, everything passed to her brother and his family when her father died."

"Ah I see, so you have no residence in France at all?"

Arianwen shook her head.

"And do you stay with your uncle when you're in Monaco?"

"No I haven't spoken or seen them since my mother died, my father said they weren't interested and we were perfectly comfortable in Wales so we didn't pursue it."

Narcissa nodded and smiled at the girl while sipping her tea, "then we mustn't delay our little trip."

They continued chatting for over an hour, Arianwen was glad for the company and Mrs Malfoy was just happy to learn more about the young woman that her son was so interested in. They were in the middle of a discussion about who Arianwen knew from the Malfoy's circle when they were interrupted by a head in the fireplace.

The head cleared its throat. "Ahem. Please excuse me ladies, I urgently need to speak with Lady Arianwen."

"Oh? And who are you?" Narcissa asked suspiciously, he eyes narrowing in mistrust.

"My apologies! My name is Howard Green, I'm a healer at St Mungo's-"

"Oh! Mr Green!" Arianwen dropped to her knees in front of the fireplace, it was the man that Madam Pomfrey had put her in touch with for work experience. "I'm Lady Arianwen. How may I help you?"

"I'm very sorry to disturb you my Lady, I tried to get you at your home but the elf told me to try here instead. We have an emergency at St Mungo's, at least fifteen people are here already and more on the way." He shook his head in disgust, "I know you're qualified in emergency medicine and we could really use an extra pair of hands!"

Arianwen nodded quickly, "of course! I'll just get dressed now, I'll be no longer than fifteen minutes!"

"Excellent, thank you. Just come straight up to floor five when you arrive. I'll see you very soon." His head disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.

"I'm so sorry to leave you Mrs Malfoy, but it sounds like they need all the help they can get." She said earnestly, dusting herself off.

Narcissa waved a hand, "no bother, darling, I'll be quite alright."

* * *

Arianwen arrived in St Mungo's and went straight to the fifth floor as she was advised, she knew the ward would be busy but the sight she was met with was nothing that she could've prepared for.

There must have been at least forty patients in the ward, and more were being rushed in as she watched. The healers were running around frantically, trying to see to the most urgent patients first.

She decided not to wait for an introduction and rushed towards a middle aged man who's body had just started fitting and foam was gushing from his mouth.

She managed to work her way through several patients before Mr Green shouted to her over the chaos, "Lady Arianwen! Thank you for this!" It was all he could manage before his patient started shrieking and he had to return his attention to him.

More healers had come to assist, and it appeared that they were making their way through the patients at a good pace. There were a few that Arianwen had to shout for help with, as their cases were too complex for her.

As she quickly scribbled down notes on a patient's board, a nurse grabbed her arm. "Miss, we need you over here!" She gestured to a young boy that had just been brought in.

"Okay. Can you take this patient down to Intensive Care, he's stable for now but they need to monitor him," she ordered.

The nurse nodded and they exchanged places, Arianwen rushed over to the little boy while the nurse levitated the other patient out of the ward.

There were three healers already gathered around the little boy's bed, one of them being Mr Green.

"Right we need all hands on deck with this one folks, this boy was attacked by one of the Death Eaters, I dunno what the fuck they've cursed him with but if you look at this area of skin," he drew their attention to the boy's thigh, which was bubbling slightly, "it looks like it's some kind of blood or muscle issue. Let's get going."

There were tears streaming down the little boy's face and he was whimpering, Arianwen moved closer to him and held his hand.

"You're being very brave, just squeeze my hand okay?" The boy's dark brown eyes flickered over to her own and he nodded slightly, crying out in pain as one of the healers attempted a counter curse which only seemed to accelerate the curse.

"Nurse, get him a pain relief potion now, anything you can find!" Arianwen instructed urgently, carrying out her own string of incantations.

The nurse passed Arianwen the potion, and she released the boy's hand to pour some down his throat, "I need you to drink this okay, lovely. It should help with the pain."

Working as a unit, they tried everything they could possibly think of but the boy's screams just grew louder and more horrific by the minute. His eyes were rolling around wildly as his whole body was convulsing, the skin bubbling painfully like water coming to the boil.

He managed to squeeze Arianwen's hand weakly and she pulled his cheek towards her own, causing his eyes to stop rolling and focus sharply on her. His eyes were wide with terror, unimaginable agony almost bursting from them, "make it," he could barely speak now, "make it stop." He pleaded, staring into Arianwen's eyes in complete desperation. She nodded although she knew the situation was hopeless, she tried to focus on the old magic she'd used on Katie Bell but all she could hear was his blood curdling screams, _come on! Do it!_ She shouted in her head, eyes scrunched up, desperately trying to conjure the magic from within her but another squeeze on her hand interrupted her thoughts. Her eyes snapped open to see the little boy staring at her with such a sorrowful expression, he knew this was it.

He let out one final hair raising scream before his body lay completely still. He was dead.

The only thing she remembered after that was a faint voice announcing, "time of death: seven thirty-three." A low buzzing sound filled her head, eyes clouding over. Her body moved without her permission, somehow still able to work on other patients while her present mind was trapped in fog.

* * *

Hours later, Arianwen stepped into a large stone fireplace in St Mungo's and muttered, "Malfoy Manor" she didn't have the energy to pay attention to the fireplaces rushing past her as she span towards her destination, the day's events at the forefront of her mind. Unfortunately, her absentmindedness led to her missing the Malfoy's kitchen entrance, meaning that she'd have to arrive in their drawing room instead. Damn. _Hopefully Mrs Malfoy doesn't think me too rude._

She arrived in the fireplace with the usual thud, spreading soot over her already blood-stained uniform. She sighed and brushed herself off, forgetting for a moment where she was. She vaguely saw the shoes of a woman and started speaking to her as she carefully stepped out of the fireplace, "sorry Mrs Malfoy, I wasn't paying attention, I didn't mean to-"

 _Fuck._ The room was full. Full of menacing looking wizards and witches, all on edge by the arrival of an apparent intruder into their meeting. Arianwen stood stock still, brain working quickly to decipher the scene before her. She recognised a few faces; Mr and Mrs Lestrange and the former's brother, Mr Nott Sr., Thorfinn Rowle, two men that looked like older versions of Crabbe and Goyle, and…Draco.

She sucked in a harsh breath, suddenly piecing everything together. These people were Death Eaters, the patients she'd treated in St Mungo's had been attacked by Death Eaters, Draco is a Death Eater… _he was there_. The sickening reality of the situation made her stomach knot with fear, an emotion she didn't allow herself often.

 _I need to get out of here_. Arianwen thought desperately, avoiding eye contact with Draco, whom she could see was crossing the room toward her.

"Oh dear, please excuse me ladies and gentlemen, I didn't mean to intrude. Just got out of the wrong fireplace," she laughed in what she hoped was a nonchalant manner.

She started walking towards the door but was halted by Bellatrix's voice, "dear dear, picking up after our mess again, my Lady?" A smattering of malicious laughter filled the room, Arianwen turned slowly to face Bellatrix, carefully clinging to some form of composure.

"It would appear so." Arianwen said flatly, fixing the older witch with a long, cold stare. She was careful to not appear aggressive but equally didn't want to give away the slightest hint of false admiration at the terrible acts that they must have performed in the early hours of the morning.

Arianwen still could not bear to look at Draco, though she sensed his presence beside her. Bellatrix was looking at Arianwen hungrily, trying to decide what to do with the young woman, her manic gaze would be enough to reduce most people to fearful tears but Arianwen held her gaze coolly. After what seemed like hours of this stubborn non-verbal communication, Bellatrix gave her a small nod and a smirk. Arianwen took this as her cue to leave and walked purposefully from the room, head held high in an attempt to retain some grace.

As soon as the drawing room was out of sight, Arianwen ran at full pelt to her bed chambers, slamming the doors behind her when she arrived. She panted, looking round her room in despair, struggling to process everything she'd witnessed. She pictured the little boy's lifeless body, his terrified eyes staring into hers as he died, desperately searching for some comfort, some protection that she'd failed to provide.

She fell to her knees helplessly, dragging the bedspread from her bed with her, holding it in front of her mouth she screamed. On and on she screamed, muffling the sound with the thick material, hot tears collecting around her scrunched up eyelids.

She heard the doors to her room fly open and quick footsteps moving closer to her, the next thing she knew she was being lifted and cradled. She recognised his smell before he spoke, Draco was attempting to comfort her.

"Shh," he soothed, holding her close to his chest protectively, "Ri, what's wrong? Come on, it's okay."

Arianwen tore herself from her shocked state and leapt from Draco's arms, glaring at him with a mixture of fear and disgust.

"What's wrong?! Are you serious?"

Draco rose to his feet slowly, holding his hands out in front of him as if to reassure her that he was unarmed and not a threat.

"Ri, I don't-"

"Those people," Arianwen started, her voice trembling, "those people that I had to treat today, the people who were covered in blood, screaming for help…that was you wasn't it?"

She looked absolutely horrified, all colour drained from her face, she backed away from Draco slowly, her hands shaking violently.

"And that little boy, did you hurt him too? Was that your spell that caused his blood to boil? I watched him boil from the inside out, Draco! I couldn't save him!"

Draco was speechless, he tried to walk towards Arianwen, his head shaking to convey the message that his mouth could not. "No, Ri-"

"TELL ME!" She bellowed, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"It wasn't me, I can promise you that,." Draco spoke quietly, "but… I was there."

Arianwen let out a cry of despair, her hands shaking uncontrollably now. "No." She whispered, hot tears spilling from her eyes, "no, not you. Not my Draco."

His heart clenched at her words, her anguish cutting through him deeper than any blade could. He strode towards her and enveloped her in a hug, tightening his arms around her as she struggled until she eventually succumbed. "I didn't touch the boy, I swear it. If I'd known…" He tailed off, his body stiffening.

"Please stop, Draco."

He loosened his grip on her, allowing her to pull away enough to look at him solemnly. "Please stop associating with those people! Please?" She pleaded, her voice barely even a whisper.

Arianwen saw some flash of emotion in Draco's eyes but didn't have a chance to decipher it before it'd been replaced with a look of resolute seriousness. "I can't, Arianwen. You know I can't and you shouldn't ask me to."

He pulled away from her and walked over to the door, turning back as his hands were on the doorknobs, "I'm not going to force you to stay. You know who I am now and you've seen first hand what Death Eaters can do, so if you want to leave…I understand." He said the last words more softly than he'd began, bowing his head slightly but still holding her gaze.

She bit her lip, two voices in her head telling her different things.

 _It would be easy to leave, just pack up and go and avoid associating with those people for as long as possible._

 _But you'll end up having to associate with them eventually, you're stuck in Hogwarts for another two years after all._

 _You're better than them though! You heal where they destroy! You don't need them bringing you down._

 _At least this way you're not openly defying them though, you can continue healing because you'll come back to Draco and they'll see you're not a threat. And then of course there's Draco…_

 _You've only just started seeing him, end it now before you get too attached!_

 _I already am too attached…_

"I'll stay. I don't want you to be alone in this." She stared at him determinedly, daring him to challenge her.

He didn't move, still standing half turned with one hand on the doorknob. He looked into her insistent green eyes, her support meant so much but he couldn't help but wish he'd never put her in this position, never allowed her to get so close. _I should've just banged her and moved on. For fuck sake, what have I got her in for?! I was never supposed to care about her!_

He had been so consumed in his own thoughts that he didn't see her walk over to him. He jumped when he felt her hand gently prying his from the doorknob.

"Draco?"

He gave her a forced smile and kissed her forehead, "you should go and get changed, the elves are preparing lunch.

"Okay." She said quietly, watching him leave, then closing the doors as he rounded the corner.

 _Well today has been a mind fuck and a half, eh!_

Arianwen did her best to put the images of her patients to the back of her mind as she showered and changed, wondering why Draco hadn't been happy that she wanted to stay with him.

* * *

By the time she was ready and walking down to the dining room, Arianwen had worked herself into a foul mood, the prospect of having to dine with such soulless people put a bad taste in her mouth. There was a low rumble of voices coming from beyond the dining room doors, she pushed the doors open and smirked as the room fell silent instantly.

"Good evening," she addressed the room at large, looking around for a spare seat.

"There's a seat for you here, my Lady." Narcissa respectfully addressed her with her title as they were dining with company, and gestured to an empty chair beside Draco.

"Thank you, Mrs Malfoy." Arianwen smiled politely and took her seat.

"For those of you who are unaware, this is Marchioness Arianwen Gwydion, she is a guest of ours over the holidays."

There were various nods of understanding from the twenty-or-so other witches and wizards around the table.

"Now, please tuck in." Mrs Malfoy said from the head of the table, giving her permission for everyone to enjoy the veritable feast in front of them.

Arianwen ate in peace, the group of wizards in their immediate vicinity were questioning Draco about the chances that the Slytherin Quidditch team had of winning the cup that year. As Draco went into detail explaining various Quidditch manoeuvres and their tactics to 'annihilate the blood traitors and mudbloods', Arianwen allowed her eyes to gloss over, slowly making her way through a bowl of lentil soup. She was barely half way through when a voice from half way down the table interrupted her peace, _bloody English people! So damn chatty._

"So, Lady Arianwen, how are you enjoying England? The weather here is somewhat more calm than your usual dwellings in Wales I believe?"

Arianwen carried on eating for a few moments before slowly directing her gaze to the man who was attempting to get her attention, Theodore Nott Sr. She tried not to let her distaste for him echo in her tone as she spoke, "I've had a lovely time with the Malfoy's and indeed the frost here is quite pretty but being Welsh, I can only allow myself to enjoy England so much."

Draco snorted in amusement, "I can't understand how you Welsh are so bloody proud of your tiny country." He drawled, smirking at her annoyingly. She frowned at him, struggling with his lighthearted teasing. Her frown deepened as the people close enough to hear the conversation mumbled their agreements.

"It's called patriotism, darling," she said, matching his expression, "quite a simple concept to grasp really, although I suppose that's just another prime example of the failures of the English education system."

Bellatrix cackled at this, alerting the others around the table to their conversation, "now now children, play nice."

Mr Nott Sr. cleared his throat loudly causing the others to stop talking immediately. Arianwen, however, was unwilling to engage in further conversation so returned her attention to her soup.

"My Lady?" The hollow voice of the older man cut through the room again.

Arianwen sighed dramatically, she placed her spoon down and clasped her fingers together on the table, finally looking at him with an expression of obvious boredom.

"You seem quite intent on preventing me from enjoying this carefully selected soup, sir. Something which is both irritating to myself and insulting to Mrs Malfoy, who puts such careful consideration into these delightful menus. So kindly spit it out." She felt Draco tense beside her, uncomfortable with her goading.

 _Fuck it,_ she thought moodily, _let's stir shit up._

"Sharp tongued as ever," the older man smirked creepily, "just like your mother."

Arianwen's eyes grew darker, she glowered at the man. It was no secret that he'd tried it on with her mother but Arianwen disliked him more for the looks he gave her at social gatherings, as though he were attempting to undress her with his eyes.

"What point are you trying to make, Mr Nott? I assure you, you have us all on tenterhooks." She drawled sarcastically, feeling Draco shift next to her again.

His smile became nastier as he drawled on, "I had the pleasure of meeting with your uncle yesterday."

Arianwen laughed mockingly, "and how much did he pay you to tell people that it was a pleasure?"

"It was I, in fact, that made payment to him, your ladyship."

Arianwen raised an eyebrow in surprise, "and this is what you've been so desperate to discuss, I assume?"

He nodded his head, his hollow eyes boring into her own, "oh yes," he hissed, "I would have thought that my soon to be bride would wish to know how much I paid for her-"

"What?" Draco snapped.

Mr Nott sneered at him, "yes young Mr Malfoy, your little girlfriend is going to be my wife. When would you like the ceremony, my Lady?"

Arianwen laughed loudly, surprising the rest of the people around the table, who were watching her in awkward anticipation.

"And how much did you pay my uncle, sir? I assume that he drove a hard bargain?"

"Ri, wha-" Draco started.

"It's fine." She hissed under her breath so only he could hear, squeezing his leg under the table reassuringly.

Mr Nott had seen the exchange between the two and sneered even more gruesomely. "He promised me your hand as long as I agreed to renounce your due title of Duchess and abandon Myddfai House, all along with a pretty penny of course."

Arianwen smiled coolly, "oh wow, my uncle has really done one over on you hasn't he?"

"Excuse me?" He spat.

"Well you didn't _really_ believe that he had the power to promise you such things, did you?"

She sat back in amusement, watching as the old man's face grew redder as he spluttered vengefully.

"Why do you want a sixteen year old girl anyway? I know your last wife was young Nott, but you're really taking your perversions to the next level, she goes to school with your son, no?" Bellatrix goaded, grimacing nastily.

"Age need not be a barrier, Lestrange." He drawled, turning his long pointed chin back to Arianwen, "now do enlighten me as to why you think you can break my contract with your uncle." He was sneering at her patronisingly now.

Arianwen inclined her head to him, "well having the strongest claim on my father's titles means that only _I_ have the power to choose who I marry and I too find it rather disturbing that a sixty year old man would wish to marry a sixteen year old girl. Though let's not get into the topic of your disturbances, there are simply not enough hours in the day." She drawled sarcastically, keeping an irritatingly polite smile on her face the whole time.

He jumped to his feet, wand drawn but Draco mirrored his actions instantly, pointing his wand at the older man's head.

"I ought to curse you, girl." He snarled, wand pointed at her chest threateningly.

"You will do no such thing, Theodore, so either sit down or leave my house now." Mrs Malfoy instructed coldly.

Arianwen felt her mouth twitch, wanting to smile at the two Malfoy's for their assistance. The man pocketed his wand forcefully and turned to leave, growling at Arianwen as he went, "I want my money back, girl."

Arianwen raised an eyebrow coolly, "kindly remember your place, sir," she drew herself up in her chair regally, "you will address me correctly if you wish to converse any further."

He growled angrily, hand twitching towards his wand again.

"Forget it Nott," Draco snarled, his wand still pointed at the man.

"And what are you going to do about it, Malfoy?" He moved his hand towards the pocket where he'd stashed his wand moments earlier, but Draco was quicker. Mr Nott's wand flew from his possession and into Draco's hand.

"Out! Now!" Draco demanded forcefully, marching the man from the room.

"You'll pay for this, Malfoy!" The man's distant shout echoed through the manor from the Malfoy's entrance hall.

Bellatrix, whose face had remained in an expression of deep amusement throughout the fracas, tutted at Arianwen.

"Better get Nott his money back before little Draco gets himself into trouble."

Arianwen spoke confidently, thinking about the time that Draco cast a spell so powerful it cracked Antaeus Carrow's skull, "Draco can handle himself just fine."

Although a foreboding look between the Lestrange brothers caused her to doubt herself somewhat.

"Besides," Arianwen smirked, "dear Uncle Dafydd is quite practised at the art of thievery, I imagine Mr Nott's money is unreachable now."

There were some murmurs of discomfort around the room but Arianwen simply shrugged at them, "it's his own fault for being such a fool."

* * *

 **A/N:** I've been writing furiously in my spare time while I'm away, hopefully will have the next chapter up around the same time next week (fingers crossed a bit sooner). Let me know what you think! And thanks soooo much for everyone who has reviewed so far, keeps me going strong! :)


	12. Chapter Twelve: Tribulations

**A/N: WARNING! This chapter contains scenes of a sexual nature, skip to the middle if you want to avoid it.**

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve: Tribulations**

Arianwen had gone to bed on strange terms with Draco that night. He'd been distant from her throughout the rest of the day and didn't offer to walk her to her room in the evening as he usually did. In fact, she'd barely even been able to make eye contact with him.

It had taken her a long time to fall asleep that night, she couldn't stop herself from reliving the events of that day: her fear when Draco had been called away to the Dark Lord, her horror when she'd seen all those helpless people in St. Mungo's, and those eyes…those terrible eyes-

Arianwen sat bolt upright in bed, drenched in cold sweat, a hand raised to her mouth to cover the terrified scream that had escaped her lips. She clutched the bed covers, trying to find comfort but only finding more fear as the darkness of her room closed in on her, suffocating her little by little.

She gasped for air desperately, chills creeping up her spine as she relived the little boy's screams. "Nooo!" She whimpered, pressing her hands over her ears and burying her face into her knees. "NO!"

She jumped as she felt large hands close around her wrists, pulling her hands away from her ears. "Ri, what the hell?" It was Draco. She stared at him through watery eyes.

"Draco," she whispered, "I'm scared" Her whole body started shaking as she shivered wildly.

"Okay," he said, blatant panic in his voice, "it's okay, I'm here. Let's get you out of this room" He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up, striding through the dark as confidentially as if he had night vision.

He placed her gently down on his bed and illuminated the nearby lamps.

Her breathing had calmed enough for her to glance around his room, lavishly decorated in dark wood and deep green shades. She suddenly felt extremely embarrassed, she had clearly screamed so loudly that she'd awoken Draco, who had to save her from a nightmare, _he must think I'm such a child._

"Here," he spoke gently, handing her one of his shirts, "I thought you might like to change."

She looked down at her nightgown, it was visibly wet with sweat. Her embarrassment grew tenfold. "Thanks." She murmured, taking the shirt and looking over at his bathroom door apprehensively, she couldn't even bring herself to go in there alone.

Draco seemed to understand her concerns though, as he offered to stay with her but turn around while she changed, an offer which she blushingly accepted.

"Okay," she said softly, "you can turn around now." She was standing awkwardly beside his bed, his shirt hanging baggily on her slender frame.

"What was that all about, Ri? You were screaming so awfully, I thought…I don't know."

She bit her lip anxiously, "I-I'm not sure."

"Was it because of what you saw in St. Mungo's?" He asked, a flicker of guilt flashing in his eyes.

She shook her head, "no, not exactly. It was these eyes…I've seen them before b-but" she stuttered, feeling fear coursing through her again.

"Eyes?"

She nodded uncomfortably, she knew it sounded completely ridiculous that she would be so afraid of some eyes, but he didn't know what it was like…that horrible feeling of being watched.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end at the thought of it, causing her to shudder. "Can we talk about something else?" She hated how lame and vulnerable she looked but equally didn't want to be left alone.

He nodded and plopped himself down on his bed, gesturing for her to join him. She faltered, _I'm about to quite literally jump into bed with Draco Malfoy… Oh crap!_

"Don't worry, I don't bite," he teased, pulling the covers back for her and patting the bed encouragingly.

She contemplated it a little longer before deciding that his idea was the lesser of two evils and climbed in carefully.

"Will your mother mind?" Arianwen asked, shuffling closer to Draco's body like a moth to a flame.

He shrugged, "we just won't tell her, it'll be fine. I'd rather this than you be left all alone next door."

She smiled and kissed his cheek, "thank you." Snuggling closer, Arianwen placed a hand on Draco's chest only to realise that it was bare.

"Oh!" She squeaked, pulling the covers off him to expose his bare body, covered only by a pair of boxer shorts.

She found herself gaping at him, his large muscles were more defined than she expected, _probably all the Quidditch_. She could understand why so many girls threw themselves at him, _he's absolutely…wow…just wow…_

"Enjoying the view?" Draco asked smugly.

Arianwen felt as though her face had just exploded into flames, she was so painfully embarrassed that she couldn't even string a sentence together properly. "Oh sorry, I-uh…I-um…I-just thought-"

He silenced her with a kiss, pulling her partially on top of him and running his fingers over her back leisurely. She sighed happily and nibbled his lip before pulling away slightly so they could make eye contact.

"You've been a bit distant today honey, is everything okay?"

"Have I?" He asked casually, playing with the ends of her hair with the arm that cradled her and tucked the other hand behind his head. "Sorry, I'm just tired."

She was fairly sure that there was more to it than just being tired but decided not to press the issue, instead she traced patterns between his abs.

"I suppose I'll be going home soon," she said with a sigh, "will you be able to visit?"

A small smile crept onto his face as he watched her eyes widen hopefully, _as if I could deny you anything._

"If you wish," he said calmly, not wanting to appear too keen, "but I do wonder how you'll introduce me…" He spoke slowly, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly as he saw the confused expression on her face turn into one of understanding.

"Oh! Um…maybe as my boyfriend?" She spoke softly, eyes fluttering to Draco's hopefully.

"That's decided then."

They both stared at each other for a few seconds before breaking into laughter. Arianwen kissed Draco happily before snuggling into him, resting her head on his chest. She felt his hot lips press a kiss to her head and let out a satisfied sigh. Unwilling to let it end there, Draco rolled Arianwen onto her back so that he could lie over her possessively. They exchanged a lustful stare before his lips came crashing down onto hers, more urgent and wanting than they had been before. Arianwen responded to his urgency, pressing her chest to his and running her hands down his torso and into his boxers.

Draco let out a low growl at her touch, "don't tease me Arianwen."

"I'm not teasing you baby," she replied seductively, pushing him down so his back slammed on the bed, she straddled him and undid the buttons of her shirt slowly.

Draco watched in awe as she removed her shirt and bent down so that her large round breasts were just millimetres away from his face. He kissed them hungrily, occasionally nipping at her skin to illicit a sharp intake of breath and a soft moan from her. She threw her head back and arched her back as he reached between her legs and toyed with her, he pushed his fingers inside of her and she whimpered with pleasure.

"Draco!" She moaned, sliding down his body to meet his lips. She tugged on his lower lip with her teeth gently, making him groan with anticipation. Kissing his neck as she moved down slowly, she slid his boxers off and started playing with his erect penis.

"Fuck." He whispered as she rolled her tongue down the length of his penis, eventually encasing it in her mouth. She started slowly, gently sucking as she slid up and down, using her hands to massage the base of it. His groans grew louder as she increased the intensity, moving harder and faster than before and releasing her own moans at the excitement. He entwined his fingers in her hair as he came, whispering expletives as she massaged the tip of his penis with her tongue. She released one final seductive groan as she swallowed his come, then slowly dragged her body against his until they were lying side by side. Draco was covering his face with his hands, still breathing heavily as he tried to bring himself back down to earth.

Arianwen kissed his arm gently and Draco pulled his hands away from his face, instead wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer so she was half on top of him. He kissed her deeply, his strong arms tensing around her possessively, "fuck Ri, that was…insane."

She giggled and kissed his cheek, "I just wanted to give you something to remember me by before I leave tomorrow." She whispered, her eyes full of emotion as she gazed into his.

He smiled and felt his stomach flipping at her words, he tightened his hold on her and kissed the tip of her nose gently, "I could never forget you babe, but thank you."

They looked into each other's eyes for a few moments longer before Arianwen shuffled down to rest her head on his chest, she felt his body tense under her.

"Ri!" His eyes were fixed concentratedly on a spot on the ceiling, "I can't believe I'm saying this but I really need you to put that shirt back on or I'm not gonna be able to control myself!"

Arianwen smiled and ran a finger lightly down the centre of his chest, "then maybe you shouldn't control yourself," she whispered alluringly.

He took in a sharp breath, his voice becoming more and more strained as her finger wandered lower, "yes I should. I want to do this right, Ri, you're not like the other girls…I need to treat you better than that."

She stopped teasing him with her finger and looked at him, _how am I so lucky?_ Arianwen pulled her shirt back on and buttoned it up quickly, smiling to herself as Draco's eyes remained firmly glued to the ceiling. When she was fully covered back up she lay down next to Draco, rolling on her side so she could put an hand on his face gently. "You are the best boyfriend I could have ever wished for," she said softly, tilting his face towards hers to see his deep grey eyes and stroking his face slowly.

Draco gave her such a genuinely happy smile that she blushed _, I'm falling for this girl way to fast._ He smiled as she blushed, "so damn beautiful," he said quietly, brushing her hair behind her ear. He propped himself up so that he could move closer to her, bringing her into a slow, affectionate kiss.

The two settled into sleep quickly and with Draco securely holding Arianwen in his arms, she made it through the night without any further nightmares.

* * *

Arianwen awoke to someone shaking her gently. Draco was standing over her, fully clothed and smirking at her confused expression. "Good morning beautiful, I need to get you back into your room before Mother finds out you spent the night in here."

She nodded and sat up, stretching. "What time is it?"

"It's 6am." She groaned loudly and he laughed, "can't I sleep for a bit longer?" She whined, pouting and snuggling back into bed.

Draco shook his head and lifted her out of his bed effortlessly, "no you can't. Well not in here anyway." He carefully carried her back to her own room and placed her down on top of the duvet covers.

"I'm going to have breakfast early today so I'll get the house elves to bring yours up at about nine o'clock, okay?"

Arianwen nodded and wriggled her way sleepily into the bed, "thanks honey." She murmured, her eyes already closing. Draco kissed her forehead and bode her a good sleep before gently clicking the doors shut behind him.

* * *

Later that morning, Arianwen was searching the manor for Draco but couldn't seem to find him anywhere. _Mrs Malfoy is nowhere to be seen either._ She fretted, starting to worry that something had happened but just as she decided to find a house elf, she heard a familiar voice from the entrance hall.

Draco and Narcissa were walking through the manor, untying their thick winter cloaks as they went and passing them to the house elves. They wore matching expressions of seriousness and Arianwen faltered at the top of the stairs, unsure whether to quickly run back to her room and wait for Draco to summon her.

Narcissa however, who could probably hear a fly's heartbeat from a mile away, looked to the top of the staircase and ushered Arianwen down.

"Good morning, Mrs Malfoy, Draco," she smiled to them in turn, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to intrude, I was just looking for Draco."

"Don't be silly dear, you're not intruding. Draco and I have just returned from visiting his father."

"Oh right…" Arianwen said softly, looking at Draco whose jaw was tightened in discomfort.

"Well I suppose I ought to get ready to leave, my friend will be here to pick me up soon."

Mrs Malfoy nodded, "okay dear. Draco why don't you go and give Arianwen a hand?"

"Certainly, Mother." He said courteously, leading Arianwen back to her room.

Once they were inside, Draco started organising her things together so they were ready to be packed into her trunk. Arianwen bit her lip nervously, she was worried that something might have happened at Azkaban as Draco had barely uttered a word to her.

"Draco," she said softly, placing a hand on his arm to stop him packing, "is something the matter?"

Draco turned to face her slowly, his expression purposefully blank, "no everything's fine, sorry I didn't mean to be quiet."

She knew that the visits to Azkaban were difficult for Draco, _nobody should have to see their Father wasting away like that_ , but she knew that it would be best if he talked about it in his own time. Instead she simply wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him tightly. He seemed a little taken aback for a moment but quickly joined in, burying his face in her hair and clinging to her slightly tighter than normal.

They stood in their embrace for a while, simply enjoying their closeness but Draco eventually pulled away and finished off her packing.

"Are you sure you won't come to Owain's New Year's party tonight?" Arianwen asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid I can't, Ri, but I'll be sure to visit you before term starts again." He couldn't help but laugh at her disappointed pout and the tension in the room instantly lifted. "That doesn't mean you can go around kissing other guys at midnight though." He raised an eyebrow at her in mock-seriousness.

"I wouldn't dream of it, honey." She smiled prettily at him, standing on her toes to brush her lips against his. He quickly took advantage of the situation, cupping her cheeks in his hands and holding her there to elongate the kiss.

Draco eventually allowed the kiss to end, planting a final kiss on her nose before calling a house elf to take her trunk and leading her downstairs. They went through to the drawing room and sat down on a sofa opposite Mrs Malfoy, who was reading the Daily Prophet and occasionally rolling her eyes at its contents.

A house elf popped into the room, "Mistress! A Mr. Elgar is here for Lady Arianwen!" He squeaked.

Narcissa fixed the elf with a cold stare, he squirmed under her gaze, "well bring him in then!" She said exasperatedly.

Moments later, the elf entered the room again with a tall, dark haired man whose deep blue eyes were fixed upon Arianwen. "Owain!" She skipped over to him and embraced him tightly.

He laughed and span her around, "ahh hello little one, how are you?"

She pulled away and beamed at him, "very well thanks, and look at you - you've grown!" She said, putting her hands on either side of his shoulders, trying to gauge how much they'd broadened.

He shrugged, still smiling at his friend, "I'm in the under 20s squad for the Cardiff Blues now, Coach has been working us pretty hard this season."

"The Cardiff Blues? What position do you play?" Draco asked enthusiastically. Arianwen blushed, she'd completely forgotten to introduce Owain to the Malfoy's.

"Oh please excuse my manners! Mr. Owain Elgar this is Mr. Draco Malfoy, and his mother, Mrs Narcissa Malfoy." He shook hands with Draco and took Mrs Malfoy's hand, kissing it politely. She smiled slightly at him, she wasn't used to such manners from any of Draco's friends.

"Owain is the son of Viscount Elgar of Brecknockshire, you may have met him at one of my Father's functions."

A small look of recognition flitted over Mrs Malfoy's features, "ah yes indeed, a fine gentleman, your father!"

Owain inclined his head to her regally, before turning back to Draco, "I'm a Beater, though I think I'm getting more of a beating than the bludgers at the moment!"

The two men laughed and Arianwen smiled, she had hoped that her friends would like Draco and Quidditch was always a good way to win their hearts.

"Do you play, Draco? You've got the build of a Quidditch player." Owain said in his low voice, slapping Draco on the back as if to prove his point.

Draco grinned, "yeah I play for our House team at Hogwarts, I'm a Seeker.

"He's good, Owain, you boys should have a match!" Draco felt his grin widen at Arianwen's words and he caught his mother's eye, she was smiling at him knowingly.

Both Owain and Draco seemed to agree that a Quidditch match would be a good idea and Arianwen smiled happily at the both of them, pleased with herself. She turned to Narcissa, "thank you so much for having me over Mrs Malfoy, you've been so gracious, I can't express my gratitude enough!"

Narcissa smiled pleasantly at Arianwen and took her hands, kissing her on either cheek, "nonsense, darling, it was my pleasure. You must come and visit us again soon!"

Arianwen beamed at her, _Draco is so lucky to have her for a mother._ She turned to him and smiled sadly, "thank you for everything Draco, I've had such a wonderful Christmas… I'm quite sad to be going to be honest."

He chuckled and kissed her hand, "thank you too, I'll visit as soon as I can, I promise."

"Okay, I'll be at Pembrokeshire Castle when you're ready to stop by," she said in quiet disappointment, looking at him with wide eyes. _Why am I hoping he invites me to stay for longer? Get a grip, Arianwen!_

"Thanks for having Arianwen for so long Mrs Malfoy, very good of you!" Owain said loudly, breaking Arianwen's attention away from Draco. She smirked and shook her head, _you sound like my Father._

* * *

To Arianwen's surprise, Owain had apparated them directly back to his house; a large 19th Century manor with a long straight drive, lined with bright red roses that had been crystallised by frost.

Noticing her confused expression, Owain explained, "Brianne was about to keel over and die if she didn't see you as soon as you left the Malfoy's. Don't worry though, she's organised all your things so you don't need to go back before the party."

"Oh okay then, is she in the house?" He nodded and she started tugging at his arm, "well come on then!" She exclaimed excitedly.

A high pitched scream came from the doorway and a streak of blonde ran towards them, jumping on Arianwen at full speed.

"Ahhh!" Both girls squealed and jumped around, exchanging hurried words about how excited they were to see each other.

"What the hell is going on out here?" Carwyn and Gwyn appeared at the door, looking bemused.

"Ohh.." They both said in unison, laughing as Arianwen engulfed them both in tight hugs as well.

"I've missed you all so much!" She admitted, clinging to the two boys.

Owain shook his head and chuckled, "come on, let's get inside."

* * *

 _Later that evening…_

The group were gathered around a large fire pit in Owain's garden, they'd decided to take a break from the main party, it's loud thudding music pulsating around the gardens. Arianwen was snuggled up with Brianne under a thick woolly blanket. Brianne was quizzing her on her week away with Draco, and while they weren't strictly conversing with the boys, they were all listening in intently anyway.

"So you're together now?" Brianne asked eagerly.

Arianwen nodded and smiled, "yeah it's all gone pretty quick but yes we're a couple now!"

"Well you've been pining after him ever since you first met him so I don't think it's gone as quickly as it could've!"

Gwyn sat up boldly, clutching his chest and pulling a pained expression, "but you were supposed to be pining after me! My poor aching heart!"

"Shut up you buffoon!" She threw a cushion at him in annoyance but he caught it easily and winked at her.

" _Anyway,_ " Brianne stressed, impatient to find out more, "have you two, you know, _done_ anything?"

Arianwen blushed hotly, which was all Brianne needed to giggle and slap her arm playfully, "Arianwen Gwydion you little minx!"

The boys all exchanged glances, wiggling their eyebrows at eachother.

"Oh will you all just shut up!" Arianwen huffed, trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of her friends, who were now standing on the furniture and making obscene gestures to each other.

"But we didn't even say anything!" Gwyn whined, pouting playfully.

Arianwen couldn't help but roll her eyes at them and join in their laughter, _where did I find such a bunch of lunatics?_

Eventually they all sat back down and their laughter faded to the occasional chuckle. Brianne looked as though she was desperate to ask something else but she was interrupted by a rather more serious Owain.

"So, little one, what progress have you made in the case against your uncle? Have you collected enough names to petition to reform the law?"

He was staring at her intently, trying to read the answer from her mind before she spoke it…she gulped. "Um…I haven't made a lot of headway to be honest. I need to speak to Anei-"

Carwyn interrupted her, looking unimpressed, "you've become lackadaisical, Arianwen, and in the meantime your Uncle gains support in the Ministry. The more time you waist, the more likely it becomes that he'll win."

His words were spoken so harshly that she felt them like a knife to the chest. The feeling was made worse by the looks on Gwyn and Owain's faces, it was clear they agreed, and Brianne was staring at a spot of the floor awkwardly.

"You're right," Arianwen whispered ashamadely, "I know there's more at stake here than just myself, if Uncle Dafydd were to take my Father's title then he may well be able to take my appointment as Warden of the South, and that would be…" She tailed off, struggling to find the words to describe it.

"It would be an absolute fucking disaster. A shit on your face, burning poker up your arse catastrophe." Ah _Gwyn, ever the eloquent one._

"Basically the guy is a complete fucking spoon, and we need you to prevent such idiocy from gaining power because it's our fathers that will have to follow his orders." Owain added.

"And we don't want them to have to follow him into battle with this so called 'Dark Lord'." Carwyn finished off.

 _They've definitely been rehearsing this._

"Okay okay, I get it. I'll meet with Nei this week and get something arranged with the Houses in the North."

The boys made sounds of agreement, Marquess Aneirin Elisedd of Gwynedd was a force to be reckoned with, like his father, and was highly regarded in the North of Wales. The group fell silent again, Arianwen's stony expression bringing the mood down.

"So," Brianne started, a mischievous grin spreading across her face, "is he big?"

Carwyn chocked on his own spit while the others cackled loudly.

"Trust you to bring everything back to her boyfriend's dick, Brianne." Owain grinned at her and she shrugged nonchalantly, her gaze focusing on Arianwen.

She smiled back at Brianne and raised a brow, _really? In front of the boys?_

Brianne nodded, Arianwen didn't need to say the words aloud for her to understand.

A small, tempting smirk took over Arianwen's mouth as she held her two index fingers a distance apart from each other to represent length.

They all erupted into cackled laughter; Draco Malfoy, it appeared, was rather well endowed.

* * *

 _New Years Day…_

It was the early hours of the morning and Owain's house was slowly starting to quieten down as people trickled out. Arianwen was feeling the effects of the alcohol and leaned against a pillar for support as the group thanked people for coming. She let out a long breath, her eyes fixed on a terracotta plant pot as she tried to stop the room from spinning in her head.

"You look like you need to get to bed, love." Gwyn said, an amused smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Mmm…" It was all she managed to say before the nausea took over and she retched into the plant pot she'd been eying up.

Gwyn chuckled to himself and waited for her to finish before putting a steadying arm around her waist, "come on little one, let's get you home."

"How-" she gagged and Gwyn jumped away hastily, "no I'm okay, I'm okay," she muttered hoarsely, "how are you going to get me home? Shouldn't I get Owain-"

"I can apparate now, Ri, we all can! Haven't they given you lessons at Hogwarts yet?"

She shook her head, struggling to speak as a new wave of nausea threatened to overpower her. She allowed Gwyn to take her waist again and waved in the vague direction of the others to signal her departure.

They apparated onto a public path at the border of Pembrokeshire Castle and walked together up the long winding track that led up the hill to the enormous wooden front doors.

Arianwen placed her hand on the large dragon-shaped door knocker and whispered, "Agored!"

The doors creaked open as commanded and revealed the dark entrance hall.

"Jheeze, Ri, when was the last time you came here?! It's nothing like I remember!"

"Not since Mother died, I think." She shivered as their footsteps echoed through the room, a thin cloud of dust drifting through the air with every step on the dull flagstone floor.

Luckily the lanterns lining the walls had been magically enchanted to alight when movement was detected so their path was illuminated. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as multiple pairs of eyes watched them make their way through the house.

"These portraits are creepy as hell," Gwyn quietly voiced the words that Arianwen had been thinking.

"I know, I'm not sure if they recognise me. They probably think we're intruders." She whispered under her breath.

They halted in the middle of a hallway that housed numerous passageways and staircases. "I can't remember the way!" Gwyn hissed to Arianwen; they had played together in the castle when they were much younger but the dimly lit room did nothing to stimulate his memory.

"I think it's the left tower," Arianwen said, making her way over to a door on the far left of the room that was ajar. They ascended the narrow winding staircase and eventually emerged in front of a heavy wooden door with a rolled up piece of parchment hanging pinned to it.

Arianwen unrolled it slowly with trembling fingers, she felt as though some grave message would be enscribed upon it.

She released the breath she'd been holding.

"Yep, definitely your room, little one." Gwyn laughed, looking at the poorly drawn unicorn on the parchment, the name 'Whinnie' just about legibly scribbled underneath.

Arianwen gazed around her old room, everything was covered in white dust cloths but she still recognised it as if she'd been there a month ago. Gwyn yanked the large linen sheet from her bed and coughed as a dust cloud surrounded him.

"You need to get some house elves on this place, Ri!"

"Yeah, definitely. I wonder why Father stopped bringing me here…" She pondered as she slipped off her dress and climbed into bed in her underwear.

"Probably because Tŷ Myddfai is a thousand times nicer." Gwyn said, moving over to Arianwen's bedside and planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Right, I think I'll leave this way," he gestured to the fireplace at the other end of the room, "goodnight, little one. I'll come by tomorrow to see how you're getting on."

He walked over to the fireplace and picked up a handful of flue powder, preparing to leave.

"Thanks honey. Love you." Arianwen mumbled as her head sank deeper into her pillow.

Gwyn sighed as he watched sleep come to her, "love you too, Ri."

He threw the powder down at his feet, "Tŷ Treowen."

* * *

Arianwen's dreams were troubled that night.

 _She stood over the image of herself, watching as she walked towards Hogwarts from Hogsmeade village. She ran to catch up with herself, calling out her own name in the hope that her other self would stop._

 _But she didn't. It was as though she wasn't aware of her presence at all._

 _She saw herself bending over Katie Bell, trying to muster up the energy to chant the old magic that would save her life._

 _"Come on, Arianwen! Do it!" She screamed at herself._

 _Her other self was becoming panicked, clutching at Katie's shoulder and waving her wand over her limp body._

 _"Do it! I know you-we can do it!" The other Arianwen just continued to panic, tears rolling down her face as Katie let out one final screech._

 _"DO IT OR SHE'LL DIE!" Arianwen screamed at her other self, desperate not to see Katie's life end._

 _To her horror, the other Arianwen's face shot up, eyes snapped on her own._

 _Only…her eyes were electric blue…and she was walking towards her menacingly, hand outstretched._

 _"Arianwen." The eerie blue eyed girl called to her. She stumbled backwards…_

"Arianwen!"

She jumped wildly, eyes darting around her dark room as her heart raced, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Arianwen!" The voice called again, only this time it was more familiar and…deep. It was a man's voice.

"Who's there?" She called out, her voice a lot more confident than she felt.

"Ri, it's me." Came a hoarse voice by the fireplace - and it clicked.

"Draco?!"

She ran to the figure by the fireplace, his body slumped against the mantelpiece. The lanterns in her room lit with her movement and Draco's form came into full view.

She screamed.

He was covered in blood.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well well, it looks like Draco's got himself into a pickle...

Thanks to Aurora for your lovely review on the last chapter! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far, it must have taken ages to read through all eleven chapters so thank you for persevering :)

Show me some love, people! I'm pleased to have gained a few more followers on this but nothing beats a little notification in my email saying that someone's left a review; I love hearing your opinions (even if you want to give me some constructive criticism)!

I may also put a little guide in the next chapter to advise how to pronounce all the Welsh names, if that's any help?

I'll try and update asap but am currently enjoying some lovely weather in Thailand so mainly just write when it rains/when I've sizzled my skin too much. I hope you're all enjoying your summer's too!


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Torment

**A/N:** Hello my lovelies! I hope you all enjoy the next instalment, but before you start reading, I've included some information about Arianwen's friends (as requested).

Arianwen's friends all attended St. Alban's School for Witchcraft and Wizardry which is in Mid-Wales. Most Welsh witches and wizards attend the school rather than Hogwarts and it caters for commonfolk along with nobility. Arianwen's friends are all of noble birth (her father would have encouraged this) but have a mix of titles:

Lord Gwyn Bedwyr (son of the Earl of Monmouthsire)

The honourable Mr. Owain Elgar (son of Viscount Elgar of Brecknockshire, also referred to as Viscount Brecknockshire)

The honourable Mr. Carwyn Tomos (son of Viscount Tomos of Cardiganshire, also referred to as Viscount Cardiganshire)

Lady Brianne Arthur (daughter of the Earl of Radnorshire)

Marquess Aneirin Elisedd (son of Duke of Gwynedd)

Hope that clears things up! Thanks to the lovely Aurora for sharing your thoughts on the last chapter, your theory is a good one... I won't give away any more than that! ;)

Enjoy :)

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen: Torment**

 _New Years Eve…_

Draco jumped as Bellatrix made a dramatic entrance to the sitting room in Malfoy Manor. He'd been on edge ever since Arianwen had left with her friend Owain as he no longer had any distraction from his plans that night.

"Are you looking forward to tonight, Draco?" His aunt asked, displaying her rotten teeth in a disturbing grimace.

He inclined his head to her carefully, "I always look forward to any contribution we can make towards the destruction of mudbloods, Aunt." He drawled. She appeared to appreciate this answer as her smile grew and called out to Narcissa proudly.

"You should be proud of your son, Cissy. He's turning out to be quite the perfect pureblood!"

Narcissa raised an eyebrow at her sister questioningly. "Did you expect anything less, Bella?"

Bellatrix shrugged. "Well with little Luci all locked up, most of us thought Draco would crack under the pressure of the Dark Lord's attention."

Draco's jaw tightened, all his efforts channelled into keeping a cool tongue. Narcissa however, didn't bother with such restraint, "don't call him that!" She snapped.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh calm down Cissy, I simply jest." Her eyes turned back to Draco, "and you've got yourself the little Welsh bitch to warm your bed at night…very good. You'll need to take it out on her, nephew, believe me." It was evident to both Malfoy's where her mind had wandered, it was common knowledge that Bellatrix and Rodolphus had a passionate, sometimes even violent, sex life.

Draco smirked at his aunt. "She'll do for now." He didn't mean it of course but, while he respected his aunt, he didn't trust her as far as he could throw her – he wanted people to believe that his only care for Arianwen was a physical one.

He was saved from any further comment by a sharp burning pain on his left forearm. His eyes locked with his aunt, who nodded at him and grinned.

"Time to go, Draco. We don't want to keep the Dark Lord waiting."

Draco saw his mother eye him warily; she hated the danger that he had to put himself in. _But someone has to do something to redeem this family, he thought darkly._

When they had walked beyond the wards of his house, Bellatrix clutched his arm tightly and apparated them to the Nott family residence. They pulled their long, pointed masks over their faces and made their way to the dungeons, where Nott preferred to host his guests.

Draco felt his lip curl as they descended the stairs. _This whole bloody place is like a dungeon._

They took their usual places in the circle of Death Eaters, Draco leaving a space where his father should've been standing and bracing himself. He remembered the warning that his Father gave him when he first visited him in Azkaban: _"you must always have your guard up Draco. Be dignified, be respectful, only speak when spoken to - unless absolutely necessary. Pay attention to your studies with your Aunt Bellatrix, occlumency could make the difference between life and death for you, son."_

He let out a quiet breath and straightened his back, _let's do this._

"Good evening, my friends. I trust you are all looking forward to executing our plan," Voldemort's cold, high pitched voice echoed through the dungeon and a thin smile speed over his lips as his followers laughed.

"Bellatrix, I will allow you to lead the ambush. I trust you will not disappoint me."

Voldemort glided towards his aunt, who was quick to fall to her knees and kiss his hand, "My Lord, it will be an honour! I would not dare disappoint you!"

 _Probably creaming her knickers._

"Good. You will report to me when it's done."

"Yes, Master, of course."

Draco didn't know exactly what the plan was, only that they would be attacking a large muggle event for New Year's Eve in London's Hyde Park. Voldemort wanted to make a bang, something that would shake people while they were relaxed over the holidays.

"Come along then children." The sneer in Bellatrix's voice was evident as she started to round up her soldiers.

Just as they were preparing to file out of the dungeons, Voldemort's voice ran out again, "Draco, Nott, you two can stay behind."

Draco stopped in his tracks. _What's this about?_

He felt his fingers find the handle of his wand subconsciously.

"You won't be needing that, Draco," Voldemort warned.

The whole group halted, looking between Draco and their Lord, quietly jeering at him as he let his hand fall by his side.

"My Lord," Bellatrix spoke again, "Draco could be useful to us, if I can take him with me-"

"You're dismissed, Bellatrix. Draco will stay." She didn't dare question him further, instead turning on her heel and marching from the room, the other Death Eaters following obediently.

"You can take your masks off now," Voldemort said, "we're all friends here." The last part of his sentence sent chills through Draco's spine, a horrible ominous feeling spreading through the room like a cloud of black fog.

He did as he was told, hearing the rustle beside him of Theodore Nott Sr. doing the same. He kept his eyes firmly on Voldemort, determined to remain dignified as his father had warned.

"I suppose you are wondering why I didn't break dear Lucius out of Azkaban at the same time as Theodore here?"

"No my Lord," Draco said, his voice calm and steady, "I know what must be done to release my Father."

Voldemort inclined his head to him, a cruel smile flicking over his face. "And do you not love your father? Do you not wish for his return?"

He gulped. "Of course I do, my Lord."

"Then why are you wasting time?" Voldemort hissed, the smile disappearing from his face. "Remember your deadline, Draco; or Lucius will not have such a lucky escape as Nott."

"I have been working tirelessly on my task-"

"Liar!" Nott cut in. Draco growled inwardly. _How the fuck does he know what I'm doing?_ Voldemort didn't usually share information about one Death Eater's task with the others.

"You don't know shit, Nott." Draco spat, everything about the man repulsed him.

Voldemort tutted, sounding almost amused. "Now now, Draco, didn't your mother teach you to respect your elders?"

"There is nothing to respect about that paedophilic bastard." Draco growled, glaring at Nott who had his wand pointed threateningly at him. _If he would just let me use my wand_ , Draco thought angrily.

"You've been fooling around with that Welsh slut that's been at your house, boy! Don't you think you should be focusing on the task that the Dark Lord has honoured you with?"

 _Nice try, prick._

"She was there on my mother's request, Nott. Don't be bitter because she refused your hand in marriage. You'll have to find some other child to shag!" Draco leered at the older man.

"Enough." Voldemort hissed, "I have been informed by many of your comrades that this foolish girl was speaking out of turn, and that she has expressed negativity towards our cause amongst your schoolmates."

Draco stiffened. _Someone's ratted to their father… but who? Theodore? Crabbe? Maybe even Pansy?_

"My Lord, I can assure you that she meant no disrespect to our cause; she was just repeating the views of her father."

Voldemort leaned forward in his chair, his eyes flashing menacingly. "And who is her father? Perhaps we should pay him a visit."

Nott smirked evilly. "The man is dead, killed by his brother, apparently. I hear that he, the girl's uncle, is most sympathetic to our cause. He is one of the Gwydion heirs; you will remember his father from the first war."

"I do indeed - the man had the insolence to refuse me. I allowed the Welsh to get away with it last time. I will not be so forgiving a second time…"

Draco made a mental note to warn Arianwen to watch out, but tensed again as Voldemort's unforgiving red eyes rested on him.

"You threw Nott out of your house _in defence of this girl_ , did you not? Do you agree with her sentiments? Do you wish to betray us, Draco?"

 _Fuck._

"No, my Lord, I would never!" Draco took a step forward, trying to convince his master of his words. "I threw him out because he disrespected me, I would not allow him to hold me in such contempt in my own home!"

"And now we're in my home, Malfoy. Petrificus totalus!" Draco was hit by the full force of Nott's spell. His body froze, falling backwards to land hard on the floor.

 _WHAT THE HELL?_ He tried to shout but no words left his mouth, all he could do was move his eyes to look upon his attacker in horror. His heart was beating so rapidly, it felt as though it might burst through his rib cage at any moment.

 _What are they going to do to me?_

It was all he could think. Over and over and over.

He felt hands close around his ankles and hoist him up so that his head and shoulders were being dragged along the floor. Nott allowed his head to thump against the uneven flagstones and smirked sadistically as he saw Draco's eyes squeeze shut in the only physical manner he could use to express his pain.

Draco felt his body being lifted and then slammed down on something hard. _A table, maybe?_

"Nott has served me well, Draco. He has proven himself to me, so I am rewarding him by allowing him to punish you on my behalf. I want you to work faster, boy, don't forget what is at stake if you fail."

Draco's eyes widened as Voldemort flicked a hand to Nott to signal that he could begin.

"Confringo!" Nott shouted, wand pointed at Draco's chest.

Before he could even begin to comprehend what was happening, he felt a burning sensation erupt across his torso. It gained intensity quickly, feeling like a fire had been lit on his body and his skin was the fuel. He wanted to scream, to tense or back away but he could do nothing. He just lay motionless and quiet as the skin on his chest bubbled with blisters and burst horrifically.

"How do you like me now, boy?" Nott's low voice rang around the room, "do you still want to disrespect me?"

Draco gathered all his energy into a glare but Nott only smiled more widely, "you're a fool, Malfoy."

He pointed his wand at the slab that Draco was lying on and muttered "Diffindo." A loud bang signalled that a portion of the table had hit the floor, Nott picked it up and held it in front of Draco to see. It was a jagged corner of stone, perhaps three-or-so inches thick.

His eyes widened fearfully.

Nott lifted the stone high above his head and then smashed it down on Draco's shoulder so that his bones cracked under its force.

Again and again and again until a shard of bone broke through the skin.

"That'll do for now, Nott." Voldemort instructed coolly.

"Rennervate!" Nott muttered, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

Draco's body unfroze and he grimaced, every slight movement causing pain to shoot from his shoulder and a stinging stab from the raw skin on his chest. Bracing himself, he managed to push up to a sitting position and eyed up Voldemort warily.

"Do you want it to stop, Draco? Will you beg for it?" Voldemort's eyes narrowed.

 _Be dignified_. His father's words came back to him. "I will do better, my Lord. I will complete the task you've given me. I'll even get Nott his 200,000 Galleons… but I won't beg."

"Crucio!"

He screamed, a terrible raspy scream that only seemed possible when the unforgivable curse was cast on him. His body twitched and writhed before curling into a ball, trying desperately to lessen the pain. It seemed to go on for an eternity until eventually it stopped and Draco's body relaxed, he was so relieved he almost laughed…and then he realised again where he was.

"Have you had enough yet, Draco?"

 _"I will not beg_ , my Lord, I am no use to you if I am weak." Draco said hoarsely, attempting to sit up but collapsing again after his shoulder gave way.

Voldemort was still for a moment, pondering Draco's words. For a minute Draco thought it might be over until Voldemort signalled to Nott again, allowing him to continue his torture.

"Petrificus totalus!" Nott froze Draco's body again.

"I see you're fond of that curse, Nott." Voldemort interrupted, sounding mildly amused. "Do you not want the Malfoy boy to give you a good fight?"

Nott grunted, the mania in his expression growing tenfold, "I like them submissive."

 _Oh, Merlin._

Voldemort laughed malevolently and nodded to Nott, who took this as his cue to begin again.

"Now, how about we spoil this pretty face of yours, Malfoy."

* * *

 _Hours later…_

"My Lord, the task is complete!" Bellatrix burst through the dungeon doors to where Draco was being held. The second she saw him, limp and covered in blood she stopped, mouth hanging open.

Nott had also stopped in his tracks, his hand still poised in mid air, clutching the jagged rock that he had just pounded Draco's face with. He didn't make eye contact with Bellatrix but rather looked to his master for instruction.

"Theodore and I are just having a chat with Draco, Bellatrix," Voldemort said calmly, "you say the task is complete? Have you anything further to report?"

"Uh-no, my Lord, just that it was a success and there were no casualties on our end." Her eyes flitted between Draco and Nott as she spoke and narrowed as she saw Nott's hand twitch towards her nephew.

"Good. Lord Voldemort is most pleased, Bellatrix. You are dismissed."

An odd sound came from Bellatrix's mouth and she looked like she wanted to say something about Draco. After an inner battle with herself, she nodded once and left the room silently, choosing not to interfere.

Draco cursed in his head, still unable to speak. _That's right Aunt Bella, you just go ahead and fucking leave me here. So much for family._

Luckily for Draco, his aunt's intrusion had at least stopped Nott's torture, if only for a few minutes, and he had time to collect his thoughts. _Maybe I should beg? Or is this some kind of test?_

"Rennervate." Motion returned to him again but this time he didn't try to sit up, instead he just wiped a trickle of blood away that was leaking from one of his eyeball's.

"I'll ask you again, Draco, will you beg for the pain to stop?" Voldemort moved from his chair for the first time and bent over Draco to look directly into his swollen eyes.

Draco tried to speak but all that came was a croak, his windpipe had been crushed slightly by Nott's brutish hands. "My Lord, I will not beg for the punishment to cease..."

Voldemort took in a harsh breath, Draco knew he'd have to say more to get himself free, "but I beg your forgiveness for my tardiness and that I allowed someone to speak ill of you. It-it won't happen again." He felt tears prick at his eyes as he tried desperately to control himself. He had a terrible feeling that he would die tonight.

Voldemort took a long, taunting pause before speaking, "very well, I will grant you my forgiveness, boy, but know that this is just a fraction of my wrath. Do not disappoint me again."

 _I passed_.

With some unknown strength, he forced himself to his feet. "Thank you, Master, you are most gracious!"

He stumbled from the room as quickly as he could manage, desperate to leave before Voldemort could change his mind. He stumbled down a few corridors, looking for an escape, "Elf!" A tiny house elf jumped and turned around, looking fixedly at Draco's feet.

"I need the nearest fireplace connected to the floo network!" He said hoarsely, wincing in pain as his broken jaw moved.

The elf squeaked in understanding and led Draco to a fireplace in a dingy looking kitchen parlour.

He grabbed a handful of powder and threw it into the fireplace, stepping into the green flames, he said, "Pembrokeshire Castle!"

* * *

"Arianwen!" He croaked, stepping out of the fireplace and into a dark room.

No response. He coughed, feeling blood splatter into his hand, and leant against the mantelpiece.

"Arianwen!"

He heard shuffling and then her confused voice. "Who's there?"

He groaned, he desperately needed her help but every word took more effort. _I'm gonna' pass out in a minute_.

"Ri, it's me."

There was a pause, and then her frightened voice called out, "Draco?!"

She ran towards his side, lamps illuminating as she did so, and screamed.

"Merlin! Draco what happened? Baby, come and sit down!" She quickly stepped forward to steady him with her arms and guided him to a sofa. He grimaced as she helped him down, the scorched skin on his stomach crackling loudly.

She stared at him in shock for a moment, hands trembling as she pressed them to her mouth, trying to suppress her look of horror.

 _I must look pretty fucked up._ He tried to put a hand on her knee to comfort her but yelped in pain instead as the exposed bone in his shoulder pushed out even further. His sound of distress seemed to awaken her from her terrified stupor as she jumped and rose to her feet.

"My potion kit! Bri would've told Betsy to pack it, she knows I take it everywhere…" Arianwen muttered to herself as she started rummaging through the various trunks that lay haphazardly around the room.

"Aha!" She held a large leather bag in the air triumphantly, then rushed back over to Draco and started pulling out bandages, ointments and little phials of potion. "Okay honey, I'm going to start healing you now but I can't use magic obviously, so I'll have to use some of the more painful alternatives."

He nodded his head once and stared at a spot on the floor, bracing himself. Arianwen worked as quickly as she could; she peeled his shirt away from his burnt flesh and ignored his intake of breath as she applied an ointment to heal the skin, she mopped the blood from his face and carefully dabbed a smelly grey powder around his eyes to reduce the swelling.

After thirty silent minutes of work, Arianwen sat back and bit her lip nervously.

"What's wrong?" Draco managed to whisper, his jaw clicking unpleasantly as he moved. Nott had bashed it a few times with the jagged stone but was careful to leave just enough bone structure to allow Draco to speak; Nott enjoyed hearing him scream and curse when the body-freezing spell was lifted.

"Well I've done as much of the painless stuff as I can," she started nervously, "but I-I need to fix your bones, and without using my wand… I'll have to do it the muggle way."

Draco looked at his girlfriend, he saw how nervous she was to hurt him even though it was necessary. He saw the fear in her eyes, how much she cared for him; he knew how much she wanted answers but she'd chosen to help him instead - and he was so thankful for it, for her, that it made the whole ordeal worth it.

"Don't worry, babe, it's not as bad as it looks." He rasped, attempting to hold himself a little straighter.

Arianwen smiled sadly as she traced a finger along his jawline softly. "It definitely _is_ as bad as it looks, Draco, you can't fool me."

Draco gave her a half smile and closed his eyes. "I can take the pain, just do it."

She took a long steadying breath. "Okay honey, there'll be a sharp pain on three. One. Two… Three!" With a great effort she pushed his exposed bone back into his flesh as quickly and accurately as she could.

Draco cried out in pain, it took all of his willpower not to jump out of reach but he managed to stay put and after a few minutes the pain subsided. He hadn't even noticed Arianwen pressing a wet cloth to his shoulder, the substance she'd doused it in trickling down his back.

"There," she whispered, pressing a cold glass bottle into his hand. "Drink this, it'll heal your internal injuries and stop the bruising."

Draco nodded, popping the cork out of the bottle neck and downing the liquid in one. His face contorted in disgust, "why are all these bloody potions so disgusting?"

Arianwen giggled and took the bottle from him. However, when she sat back down, her expression had returned to one of seriousness. "Draco," she said softly, her hands fidgeting in her lap, "what happened tonight? Was it, you know… Was it _him_?"

Draco sighed, he had hoped to avoid the topic but supposed he at least owed her some information. "Uh-yeah, in a way."

 _Please leave it there…_

"In a way?" She questioned.

 _I really don't want to tell you._

"Yeah. He got someone else to do it for him."

Arianwen's eyes were growing larger with each answer. "But who? And why? What could you have possibly done to deserve this?"

"He got Nott to do it, he's a Death Eater as well. I haven't been working fast enough apparently."

 _Just leave it there, no more questions._

"And that warranted beating you to a pulp did it? I hope that Nott is at least in a worse state than you were?"

Draco groaned inwardly, they were getting uncomfortably close to the truth. "No, the bastard did the body-binding curse on me so I just had to take it-"

Arianwen gasped loudly, clapping her hands to her mouth in horror.

"But why did he beat you so hard? I don't understand! It's not like you've failed whatever bloody task you've been given, you just haven't finished yet, right? So why did he hurt you so badly, Draco?! Unless…" Her fingers trembled as she spoke, tears welling up in her eyes, "unless he did it because you defended me when I was being rude to him?"

 _And we've arrived. Great._

Draco sighed again and placed a hand over hers consolingly, "Ri, it's not your fault-"

"Oh but it is isn't it?!" She interrupted, looking horrified. "He was even more hard on you because of me, and your _Dark Lord_ didn't try and stop him I presume!"

Draco looked away awkwardly, trying to think of the best way to lie his way out of it; his silence did nothing to console Arianwen though, who started shaking with sobs.

"I'm so sorry," she managed to choke out, "if I knew the consequences – I would never intentionally-"

"Shh." Draco silenced her, "it's not your fault, Ri. And look, I'm okay! It all worked out fine."

Arianwen nodded, biting her lip to prevent the onslaught of tears that were battling to breach her eyes. "Do you want to stay here tonight?" She said, voice steadying as she regained composure.

Draco eyed her, licking his bottom lip slyly, "well when you're dressed like that," his eyes rolled over her body hungrily, "I don't see how I can say no!"

He watched in amusement as she became visibly redder in the face, suddenly realising that she was only wearing her underwear. She jumped up and covered herself with a nearby dressing gown, her eyes looking everywhere but him.

He chuckled and wrapped her in a hug, enjoying his movements being free from pain. "Lovely room by the way. Is that a unicorn on the duvet?"

She laughed and swatted him, "I haven't had a chance to redecorate yet, okay!"

"No need to redecorate, babe. I just _love_ them!" He drawled, smiling teasingly as she blushed again.

* * *

 _New Year's Day..._

They awoke early in the morning, despite the late hour at which they fell asleep. Draco didn't want to stay for too long, concerned that his mother didn't know his whereabouts and would be worried. Arianwen led him to the front hall and they were engaging in a rather long goodbye kiss when a loud knock at the door disturbed them.

They knocked a further three times before Arianwen moved to open the door. "Merlin, who wants to speak to me so badly at this hour?" Arianwen asked, smoothing her dressing gown distractedly.

She opened the door and was surprised to see three officials from the Ministry of Magic on her doorstep. "Good morning, gentlemen. How may I be of assistance?"

"Good morning, my Lady." Greeted the closest of the men, his hands tugging the lapels on his robes pompously. "Sorry to disturb you but we need to speak with him." He pointed a stubby finger behind Arianwen to where Draco was standing.

Draco saw the look of utter confusion on Arianwen's face as she turned to look at him but he had an idea what the Ministry officials wanted, and it wasn't good. He shook his head ever so slightly to Arianwen, attempting to convey a need for discretion. He was surprised when he saw her incline her head delicately to him, so that no one else but him could tell.

 _Looks like we're on the same page._

"How can I help you, gentlemen?" Draco asked politely, his expression feigning some innocent interest.

"Are you Draco Malfoy?" One of the men questioned.

"That correct, yes. May I enquire as to how you knew to find me here?"

"We went to Malfoy Manor first, of course, but your mother told us to find you here. And I think we'll be asking the questions from now on, Malfoy. So you can start by telling us where you were last night?" The first man demanded.

 _Oh, crap._

"And why is that any of your business?" Arianwen interjected, her posture straightening importantly.

"Oh-uh, please excuse us, my Lady but there was a Death Eater attack last night." The first man spluttered, wilting under Arianwen's dissaproving glare.

"And?" She asked coldly.

"And there have been some uh-reports that Mr. Malfoy here was invol-"

"Morning, little one! What's with all the people?" A deep voice announced the arrival of a tall man with light brown hair, Draco recognised him instantly as Arianwen's friend, Gwyn.

"Gwyn!" Arianwen hissed, her eyes moving between Draco and the Ministry officials meaningfully. He seemed to understand instantly as his eyes narrowed and he took a protective stance close to Arianwen. He felt a pang of jealousy in his stomach and moved closer to Arianwen himself, his hand encircling her waist.

"These men are here to speak with Draco about his whereabouts last night." Arianwen explained carefully to Gwyn.

"And you told them about Owain's party then I suppose?" Gwyn offered, looking Draco directly in the eye and smiling casually.

Draco nodded slowly, pulling his robes tighter over his blood-stained shirt. "Yes, well, I was about to anyway."

"A party?" The third Ministry official questioned.

"That's right." Arianwen said confidently, "you can speak to Owain's father if you don't believe us, but don't expect Viscount Elgar to treat you with the same kindness that I have at this hour on New Year's Day."

The first man narrowed his eyes suspiciously, looking between the three young aristocrats before saying, "no that is quite alright, your Ladyship, we don't need to check. Sorry to have disturbed you, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco gave them a thin smile. "That is quite alright. Good day, gentlemen." He said firmly, and they turned their backs to march from the castle grounds.

Arianwen closed the door and the three blinked at each other silently for a few moments before Draco broke the silence.

"Thanks for that, mate. I'm Draco, by the way." He held out his hand to Gwyn, who chuckled and shook it.

"No worries, Draco, we've all been there. I'm Gwyn." He winked and turned to Arianwen.

"Just came to check you hadn't choked on your own vomit in your sleep, love." He said, smirking as she rolled her eyes. "But it looks like I needn't have come." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she laughed, batting his arm playfully.

"I'd better go, Ri." Draco said, moving towards the door.

Arianwen nodded. "Gwyn, can you give us a sec please, love?"

Gwyn sighed dramatically, earning another eye roll from Arianwen, then turned to slap Draco on the back.

"Nice to meet you, Draco mate. Owain mentioned that he wants to organise a Quidditch match for us so give us a bell when you're planning to stop by next!"

Draco grinned. _Who knew meeting the ex-boyfriend could be so enjoyable._

When Gwyn had gone far enough out of earshot, Arianwen closed in on Draco, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. "You will be careful, won't you?"

He nodded and kissed her forehead reassuringly, "I will. I do wonder though, how did my mother know I was here?"

"Oh, I sent her an owl while you were asleep, I didn't expect her to read it until later but then I forget how early you all wake up!"

Draco smiled, "how considerate, thank you. I also really want to thank you for last night, Ri."

She shook her head. "Don't thank me. I want you to come to me any time you need me, understand?"

He tried not to laugh at her earnest expression. "I wouldn't dare disobey you!" He joked, planting a final kiss on her cheek before closing the gap between them and the door, and striding out onto the porch.

"Bye, babe. I'll write soon."

"Bye, Draco." Arianwen said softly, the usual sad expression on her face as she watched him go.

He turned when he neared a turn in the path, "Oh, Arianwen!" He shouted.

"Yes?" She called back hopefully.

"Happy New Year!"

 _I hope hers is happier than mine will be anyway_ , he thought darkly, the events of the previous night replaying in his mind.


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Decline

**Chapter Fourteen: Decline**

Arianwen sighed heavily as she pushed a stray onion around her leek and potato soup with her spoon. It was her first evening back at Hogwarts for the new term and she was anything but excited to be there. She'd spent the last two weeks visiting most of the nobility in North Wales, cleaning and preparing the castle, and touring Pembrokeshire.

As Pembrokeshire Castle hadn't been used by the Gwydion family in over a decade, there were no resident elves present so Arianwen had to rely on Betsy to recruit some. She'd decided that she wanted to spend more time in Pembrokeshire, at least until she could legally banish her uncle from Myddfai House, and was therefore expected to reopen the castle publicly.

By the end of the week they'd restored the castle to its former glory but irritatingly for Arianwen, there was one area that she couldn't gain access to: the formidable Great Keep that stood in the centre of the castle's grounds. She'd never been allowed to go in there as a child and something about it gave her the creeps, even now. It was as though she could hear a faint whisper echoing from the brickwork, calling to her, trying to entice her to enter.

Common sense told Arianwen not to listen to this whisper however, such was the magical history of the castle that any number of warlocks could have enchanted it.

"Arianwen?"

"Hmm?" She was pulled from her musings by a soft shake to her shoulder. "Oh sorry, Blaise. I was in-"

"Your own little world, I know." Blaise finished for her, smiling knowingly. She'd been like it for the entire train journey, gazing out of the window half way through conversations.

"Daphne was just asking you about what you did over the holidays, remember?"

"Oh yes, of course, sorry Daph."

Daphne smiled, the other Slytherin girls chuckling beside her.

"Well I spent a few days at home and then went to the Malfoy's for a week-"

"You were at the Malfoy's? Why would _you_ be there?" Pansy said nastily, lip curling at Arianwen.

"Is she not allowed to visit her boyfriend over the holidays, Pansy? Or is this some new crime that we should be made aware of?" Draco's drawl grew louder as he neared their group. He raised an eyebrow at Kathleen coolly before she squeaked and wriggled further down the bench, allowing him space to sit down next to his girlfriend.

"Boyfriend? What-" Pansy started, looking absolutely livid.

"That's right," Arianwen interrupted coldly. She rested a hand over Draco's and spoke more softly, "you're late! Where have you been?"

He lifted her hand and kissed it, causing Pansy to squawk. "I know, I'm sorry. I had something I needed to see to."

 _Vague as ever._ Arianwen decided not to press for more answers and simply nodded her head slowly, her thoughts returning to the previous week as she went back to stirring her soup aimlessly. There was a low buzzing in her ear of people talking, probably about the news of her relationship with Draco, but she chose not to tune in any further.

 _I wonder if Father ever went into the Great Keep…or maybe it was locked long before his time too._

"Ri!" Draco exclaimed impatiently.

"Hmm?" She waited for his face to come into focus as her eyes unglazed, he looked mildly annoyed. "Oh sorry, honey, what did you say?"

Draco sighed, "I said, 'are you going to eat that?'" He gestured to her soup.

"Oh! No, no probably not. I feel a little unwell, I think I'll go and lie down." Arianwen stood up quickly, ignoring the shared look of bemusement between Blaise and Draco, and started down the hall.

Draco grabbed her arm just before it swung out of reach and she turned around, smiling pleasantly at him. "Will you at least allow me to walk you to your room?"

She could hear the concern in his tone but shook her head anyway. "No that's alright, you stay and have some dinner. I could use the fresh air to clear my head!"

She continued out of the Great Hall, but not before she heard Blaise shout, "fresh air? You do know we live in the dungeons, Ri?!"

She waved a hand behind her as if to say 'that's what I meant' and continued out, striding down to the dungeons as quickly as she could. She was pleased to find the common room empty and plopped herself down on a squishy green chair in the corner. It was the shabbiest in the room but had quickly become Arianwen's favourite; far enough away from the main seating area that she could read or write in peace, but close enough that she could also watch her fellow students bustle about.

Arianwen lifted her wand and muttered, "accio history book!"

A copy of 'Great Britain: Great History' landed on her lap and she flicked it open, running a finger down the contents pages until she found 'Magical Places: Castles' and 'Pembrokeshire Castle – page 784'. She was disappointed to see that Pembrokeshire Castle only had two pages dedicated to it in this book, but proceeded to skim through them anyway.

 _"Pembroke Castle, commissioned by Earl Roger of Montgomery in 1093, is an historic fortress that has been home to many famous names including: William Marshal, William de Valence, King Richard II, Jasper Tewdwr, Kings Henry VII and VIII, and House Gwydion. While the castle was built by a Welshman, it's ownership fell into the hands of Englishmen for many centuries._

 _The famous Welsh soldier, Owain Glyndwr, attempted a siege on the castle in 1400 in an attempt to rid it of its hated English settlers. The siege was unsuccessful and remained in English occupation until the end of the reign of King Henry VIII, whom granted the land to Earl William Roger in 1545, later anointing him Duke of Pembroke. The Earl's daughter, Lady Arianwen Roger was joined in matrimony to the Duke of Carmarthenshire, Llewyn Gwydion, passing ownership of the castle back to the Welsh by the end of 1556._

 _House Gwydion is the presiding Duchy to this day and have been long heralded as the saviours of the County by its townspeople."_

Arianwen skimmed over the next few paragraphs, she was already well-versed in her family history. Her eyes rested on the final section at the bottom of page 785, entitled 'The Great Keep':

 _"The Great Keep, an impressive cylindrical tower, standing at nearly 80ft tall. Harri Tudur was born within its walls in 1457 and was later crowned as Henry VII. The King never returned to the castle after his coronation but was always fond of it, reportedly due to its involvement in the Arthurian era; legend has it that the infamous witch, Nimue, imprisoned Merlin in the Keep._

 _Local folklore states that Merlin took Nimue as his apprentice, he taught her everything he knew about magic and she became a distinguished sorceress. Over time her powers grew, some say she stole power from Myddfai Lake or harnessed Merlin's own power to use against him. It is believed that Merlin died in the Great Keep and that his remains still lie there to this day, though such claims have not been substantiated with evidence. The Keep was sealed by the Duke of Carmarthenshire, Llewyn Gwydion, in 1556 when the Duchies of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire were merged, though his reason for doing so is not known."_

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, as though electrified. _So the Keep's been sealed for over 400 years! But then, why does it whisper to me? What could anything in there want with me after so much time? I don't understand why Father didn't tell me about it, he used to tell me everything… what was he hiding from me?_

Arianwen jumped suddenly, startled by the rumbling sound of the Slytherins just outside the common room. She yelped and ran down the stairs to the girls dormitory, cursing as she realised she'd left her book behind.

It wasn't long before she heard the voices of her roommates descending the stairs. She pulled her bed hangings shut and faked heavy breathing so they wouldn't disturb her.

"Oh good, she's asleep!" Daphne hissed to the others.

"I still can't believe that she's going out with Draco, I mean, I guess she's not completely ugly but I thought he was in love with you, Pans." Margaret simpered.

 _In love with Pansy? How deluded can you get?_

"Yes, well he led me to believe that he was but then he got engaged to your sister, Daph, not that that lasted long. So the Welsh whore probably won't either!" Pansy said viscously, inciting a smattering of giggles from the other girls. Arianwen felt her face grow hot. _I thought we were friends?_

"Doesn't it bother you that Draco _chose_ to ask her to be his girlfriend though? It's not like he chose Astoria… Or you for that matter." Millicent said calmly. Arianwen smiled, glad that at least one person defended her.

Pansy scoffed. "Who said he asked her? I reckon his mother set it up, probably desperate to get someone to cater for his… _needs_. Everyone knows how tetchy the Malfoy men get when they haven't had a good shag. Apparently his father takes his mother whenever he feels an urge, no matter where they are! I even heard they did it at the opera once!"

The girls burst into fits of giggles again, all except for Millicent, who excused herself to go to the common room.

"Shh! She might wake up!" Tracey whispered loudly.

"Oh who honestly _cares_ if we wake up the little princess?" Pansy drawled.

"You should! Because if you wake her then she'll probably go and find Draco but if you _don't_ …"

There was a brief pause before Pansy spoke again. "Yes, very good, Margie, I like your thinking. That stupid bitch won't last long but perhaps I should speed up the process..." With that, Arianwen heard the shuffling of their footsteps from the room and the soft click of the door, signalling to her that she was alone once more.

She let out a long, hard breath. As much as she wanted to rip the hangings open and curse Pansy, she didn't want to admit that she'd been eavesdropping, Governess Mathews had always been strict on that.

And then there was Draco, she trusted him; she knew how he looked at her, how he touched her, how he held her tightly, protectively, in his arms.

 _If Pansy thinks she can take him from me without a fight, then she's got another thing coming._

* * *

Arianwen awoke the next morning with a pounding headache, she'd been getting them quite frequently recently; a symptom of a restless night's sleep, she presumed. She rose silently, pulled on a sports bra, leggings and long sleeved top, and made her way out onto the grounds.

She watched the sunrise as she ran, smiling at the peacefulness of her surroundings. When she had showered and changed into some casual clothes, she made her way down to breakfast, hoping to find Draco.

Blaise smiled as he saw her enter and gestured to the free seat next to him.

"Good morning, darling." Arianwen greeted, pecking him on the cheek as she slid into the space beside him. "How are you today?"

Blaise made a face, "well I was great until your dear boyfriend woke us all up at Merlin knows what hour in the morning!"

"He woke you up? Why?"

"He decided to crash into my bed on his way out, thumping idiot!" Theodore grumbled. Arianwen eyed him carefully, remembering what his father had done to Draco.

 _I wonder if he knows what a sick bastard his father is?_

Her thoughts were broken with the familiar sound of flapping wings from above their heads as the owls swooped in with the morning's post. The atmosphere of the hall changed rapidly as the students unfurled their copies of the Daily Prophet; this wasn't unusual considering the rising number of Death Eater attacks, but Arianwen was rather surprised to find the students all looking at her.

"What the hell is everyone looking at?" Arianwen hissed to Blaise, turning to look at him just in time to catch him hiding his copy of the paper behind his back.

She tried to snatch it off him but he held it far from reach. Luckily, she was saved from any further efforts by a large dark owl landing on her toast.

The owl held out his leg patiently and Arianwen untied the copy of the Daily Prophet that he carried. The front cover read: ' _Merlin's Prison Reopened By Lonely Heiress_ ', and two large pictures were displayed underneath; one of a two year old Arianwen sitting happily on the famous bench outside Pembroke Castle with her mother, father and grandparents, and the other was a picture that was taken a few days prior. It showed Arianwen sitting alone at the centre of the large stone bench, her hands neatly folded in her lap, she was dressed all in black and had her hair pulled back in an elegant bun. While the reopening of the castle was a happy affair for the locals, Arianwen did not smile. Instead her face rested in a neutral expression, her dark red lips looking almost vampish in contrast with her pale skin and the dark circles that had been forming under her eyes since the New Year.

The caption read: _'Marchioness Arianwen Gwydion with her family in 1981 vs. The lonely Marchioness in a "desperate cry for attention", says uncle.'_

Arianwen stared, expressionless, at her own picture. There was a sadness to it, especially when displayed in contrast with the joyful image of her family - it made her feel empty, so sorrowfully empty.

She didn't subscribe to the Daily Prophet but the sender hadn't made their identity a mystery. Scratched over the top of her picture was her uncle's long, loopy writing with the words, 'Rwyt ti ei ben ei hun.'

 _You are alone_.

She felt the newspaper shaking in her hands so stood from the table, head held high, and strode quickly from the Great Hall, the newspaper tucked firmly under her arm.

* * *

"Ri?" A familiar hand squeezed her shoulder and a comforting smell of sandalwood filled her nostrils. She blinked once, twice, three times, before Draco's face became clear.

"Hello. How are you?" She asked distantly.

Draco's brow furrowed and he pulled out the chair next to her, sitting down on it and placing his hand on her knee.

"You've been crying." He whispered, noticing her smudged mascara.

Arianwen looked confused and shook her head, "have I? That doesn't sound like me."

Draco's brow furrowed still deeper, his eyes narrowing. "You've got ink all over your hands, what have you been doing?"

Arianwen looked down, thin black ink was bleeding into her skin, dispersing haphazardly along it's lines. "That's funny, I don't remember writing anything-"

"Then what's this?" Draco interrupted, holding a long piece of parchment up for her to see. The words 'Rwyt ti ei ben ei hun' were written on it in her own writing, line after line of it. She must have written it at least a hundred times.

"Ri, that's your writing. What does it say?" Draco probed quietly, looking worriedly at his girlfriend.

Arianwen frowned, worry growing on her own face now. "It says, 'you are alone'. I think my uncle sent it to me." She said, showing him the front page of the Daily Prophet that she'd balled in her fist.

Draco's eyes flashed with something unreadable that Arianwen hadn't seen before. "Come on babe, let's get out of here."

She looked around hurriedly and her stomach dropped, they were in the library but the last thing she remembered was leaving the Great Hall, she must have gone there in a trance.

When they were safely out of the library and walking along the corridor that led to the school grounds, Arianwen spoke quietly.

"Draco, I don't remember going there, to the library, I mean. I'm forgetting things but I don't know why and I've tried so many potions but I can't stop it happening! Am I-am I going mad?"

Draco sighed and wound his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer so he could kiss her hair soothingly. "No Ri, you're not going mad." He said softly, steering her over to a bench overlooking the black lake. "You've just had a lot to deal with recently. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you."

"Oh but you have! You're here now, aren't you?" Arianwen said earnestly, snuggling under Draco's winter cloak.

"I want to do more." He muttered, more to himself than to her.

"You do more than you know. Besides, you need to be focusing on your task - is that what's been keeping you so busy?"

Draco nodded, staring out onto the still water. Occasionally a ripple could be seen, then a splash, and it would go eerily still a moment later.

"Can I help at all?" Arianwen asked hopefully.

"No, definitely not." Draco said firmly. "But thank you, anyway."

He stroked circles on her arm soothingly and she rested her head upon him, breathing slowly.

"I think I found your book, by the way, about Pembrokeshire Castle?"

"Ah, yes. Just a little light reading." She lied.

He looked at her and raised his eyebrows in a way that told her that he knew she was lying, but he didn't question it any further.

"I saw the article, Ri. I hope you didn't believe what the Prophet said about you?"

She shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed that he'd found her in such odd circumstances in the library. "I suppose so. I don't know why they had to word it like that, as though I reopened Pembroke Castle in some kind of premeditated bid for attention!"

"Mmm yeah they made you sound quite tapped in the head!" He chuckled and Arianwen shoved him in the shoulder.

"It's not funny!" She insisted, smiling despite herself. There was something contagious about his laugh, it was deep and hearty, filling the air around them with its warmth.

"I'm sure it was just your uncle trying to discredit you, he probably bribed them. Just don't let him affect you, Ri, it's what he wants." Draco paused to plant another kiss on her forehead. "Now come on, I've got a present for you back at the castle."

* * *

 **A/N:** Good evening, cherubs! I've actually written a lot more for this chapter but thought it felt a bit too long when I read over it, so I'll post the rest tomorrow :) Thanks so much to Aurora (again, you're such an angel) and MissBlack2 for your reviews - I'll discuss them in more detail with the next update.


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Shock

**Chapter Fifteen: Shock**

When they were a few metres from the Slytherin common room, Draco pulled Arianwen up against a wall.

"Here," he said, waving his wand over her hands to clear the ink from them.

"Thanks," she smiled, leaning closer to kiss him on the cheek. Draco took full advantage of the situation and moved his face so their lips would connect instead.

It was the kiss that Arianwen had been longing for. She hadn't been able to be close with him since he'd visited her in Pembrokeshire for the Quidditch match that Owain and the other boys had been so keen for, and she had to admit that she missed it. It appeared that Draco felt the same way, for he moved his lips quickly and passionately, pressing his body close to hers. She couldn't help but let out a soft moan when he slid his tongue into her mouth and his hands wandered over her chest.

"Oi! Malfoy! Get a room for Salazar's sake!" It was Crabbe and Goyle returning from one of their regular trips to the kitchens.

Draco pulled away from Arianwen laboriously, as if it were some great, impossible task.

"Don't be jealous, boys." He drawled, leaning back to Arianwen to whisper in her ear. "I've missed you."

She smiled that pretty smile at him and took his hand to lead him into the common room. They were met by stares from their housemates, some curious, some jealous, but one stare was downright furious.

"Dracie! What on earth do you think you're doing hanging round with this, this-" Pansy seemed at a loss for an appropriate insult as she looked Arianwen up and down. "This attention-seeking SLUT!" She shouted the last word so loudly that the buzz around the common room was silenced instantly. All eyes were looking between Arianwen and Pansy.

 _Perfect. The last thing I need at the moment_ _is grief from this pug-faced-_

Draco tutted loudly, breaking the silence of the room and Arianwen's thought process. "Can you not come up with anything better Pansy? Is it nice to have a brain that feels as good as new?" Pansy looked dumbfounded. "Considering you never _use_ it, I mean." Draco drawled with a great sigh of exasperation.

Arianwen struggled not to laugh out loud; Blaise however, did not attempt to keep his bark of laughter at bay.

"Nice one Draco!" He applauded.

Draco smirked and nodded before shooting Pansy a filthy look, she mirrored his expression and sulked off, slamming her bedroom door behind her.

"Now." Draco addressed the room at large. "I would like to enjoy an evening with my girlfriend in peace, so why don't you all go back to your pathetic lives and leave us be." He waved a hand dismissively at them. There was a pause and then the room quickly broke out into conversation again, with people throwing stolen glances at the couple when they thought they could get away with it.

"Thank you." Arianwen whispered to Draco, smiling appreciatively at him. He winked, flashing her a handsome grin before leading her over to the only remaining sofa opposite where Blaise was playing chess with Theodore.

"Stay here, I'll be back in a minute." He commanded, dashing over to the boys dormitories.

"Oh! What! You fucking arsehole, that was my best knight!" Blaise shouted at Theodore, whose pawn had just bashed Blaise's only remaining knight to smithereens.

"It's not my fault you're so horrible at chess, mate." Theodore defended, smiling slyly as his pawn made it to the end of the board and a little crown appeared on its head, making it Theodore's second queen.

"What are you on about? Just 'cause I'm not winning this particular game, doesn't mean I'm 'horrible' at it! You're just bloody cheating!"

Arianwen chuckled, Blaise was horrible at chess. She'd once witnessed a seven year old girl beat him, and she wasn't even good.

"Don't be a sore loser, love." Arianwen said, smirking at Blaise's outraged expression.

"Right!" He roared. "If you're referring to that Quidditch match-"

"What Quidditch match?" Draco returned from his dormitory, taking the seat next to Arianwen and sliding his arm over her shoulder casually. "I didn't know you play Quidditch, Blaise?"

"I don't!" His cheeks flushed. "Or at least not since Arianwen's little pals made me play with them!"

Draco shot Arianwen a look of mock hurt, "so they get everyone to play then, do they?"

"They forced you into it as well did they, Draco?" Blaise asked, shaking his head and laughing.

"What's this?" Theodore looked puzzled.

"Well-" Arianwen began but was cut off by Blaise holding a hand up and speaking over her.

"No, I'll explain thank you very much, Ri. Can't have you distorting the story now, you sly little fuck."

Arianwen raised an eyebrow mockingly but allowed him to continue.

"Right. So one summer, at the end of third year I think, my mother decided to go off with some Brazilian man and I was forced to spend the summer with Ri-"

"You were hardly forced. In fact I remember quite clearly that you wrote to me saying you couldn't wait to come and play with the horses-"

"Shut up!" Blaise leapt over and shoved a hand over Arianwen's mouth but not before the others had all broken into hysterics.

"How sweet." Theodore mocked.

"Anywaay! Ri's friends; Owain, Gwyn and Carwyn decided it would be a great idea if I played against them in a little Quidditch match with some of their other school friends." He paused to give Arianwen a long accusatory stare. "They seemed to think that I wanted my filthy way with her-"

"Why did they think that?" Draco asked quickly, looking between Blaise and Arianwen jealously.

"Because little miss over here decided to go and lie to them about it!"

The boys' gazes all switched to Arianwen, whose mouth was twitching with a suppressed laugh.

"I just wanted to add a little… _excitement_ to the game." She said innocently.

Blaise rolled his eyes and continued, "and apparently no one is good enough for Ri unless they can absolutely boss their way through Quidditch. So they obviously decided to get all protective of her, like they always do, and only went and set a fucking DRAGON on me!"

They all erupted into laughter while Blaise waggled his finger at Arianwen accusingly.

"He was only a baby! It's not like he could _actually_ hurt you!" Arianwen defended through waves of laughter.

"It burnt my brand new broomstick!"

"And my Father offered to replace it but you refused!"

"Yes! Obviously I was a little fucking put off at that point!"

The two friends stared at each other challengingly for a few seconds before ferocious laughter took over them.

After he'd managed to calm down again, Blaise wiped a tear from his eye and turned back to Draco. "So how did your match go anyway?"

Draco smirked, "it was pretty fun to be honest!"

"Draco played wonderfully! You caught the snitch and everything, didn't you?" Arianwen said enthusiastically, gazing at her boyfriend adoringly.

He smiled at her, a smug feeling growing inside him.

"Oh well aren't you just the perfect boyfriend!" Blaise exclaimed loudly, making a younger girl jump from behind him.

Arianwen's smile grew and her eyelashes fluttered softly as she gazed upon Draco once more. "I think so." She said gently.

"Oh my days I cannot take another second of this! I'm off to bed!" Blaise jumped to his feet and stalked out of the room.

"Actually just had sick in my mouth!" Theodore exclaimed, following Blaise down to their dormitory.

Draco chuckled and shook his head at his friends. "Looks like it's just us." He purred into Arianwen's ear, making her shudder excitedly.

He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a folded bit of thick card, passing it to her. "This is that present I was on about earlier."

Arianwen took the card and unfolded it, she was delighted to find a picture of herself and Draco sitting on the very same bench that had featured in that morning's Daily Prophet article. The two miniature versions of them were huddled under Draco's cloak and laughing about something; occasionally they would look up, as though the photographer had called to them, and wave.

"Oh, Draco! This is wonderful, thank you so much! It'll look lovely in my photo album." She kissed him happily on the cheek before staring at the photo again.

"How did you get this? I mean, I remember going there after the Quidditch match, but who took the picture?" Her nose wrinkled in confusion as she tried to work out who else could have been there, she'd been under the impression that they were alone.

"It was Brianne. They followed us after the game, probably wanted to see what we're like when we think we're alone."

Arianwen's cheeks flushed and she laughed awkwardly. "I see… Sorry about them, they just want the best for me!"

"I know," he reassured her softly, squeezing her shoulder. "I thought it was quite funny when I noticed them, especially as you were none the wiser. I was going to keep the photo for myself but when I saw the paper and what your uncle wrote on it… well I thought that you could do with a reminder that you're _not_ alone, there are plenty of people who care-"

He was interrupted by her lips pressing against his own gently, it was a tender kiss, a loving kiss, even.

 _Merlin, I think I'm falling in love with him._

She pulled away and smiled softly, "thank you, Draco."

While she may have thought that she was falling for Draco Malfoy, she certainly wasn't ready to tell him… _not yet, anyway._

* * *

 _Two weeks later…_

The first Hogsmeade weekend of the term was upon them, and the majority of students were making their way to the village, an heir of merriment among them. Arianwen pulled her winter cloak tighter to her body, the February chills nipping at her skin as she walked. She was making the trip alone, Draco wanted to spend more time on his 'task' and Arianwen had arranged to meet Aneirin to discuss matters in North Wales.

The bell above the door at the Three Broomsticks sang happily as she entered, and the barmaid smiled welcomingly at her. Aneirin was already waiting for her at a rickety table in the far corner of the pub, well away from the her fellow Slytherin classmates, something she was quite pleased about.

"Lord Aneirin!" Arianwen greeted, smiling as he took her hand and kissed it. She'd always been fond of Aneirin, while he'd been five years ahead of her in school, their paths had crossed frequently at society functions.

"Ah, Lady Arianwen. Is it possible for you to be even more beautiful than when I saw you last?"

She laughed as she took the seat he pulled out for her. "It's a miracle I ever believe a word that comes from your mouth with flattery such as that!"

He laughed, exposing his perfectly straight teeth in a well practised grin. "You can't knock a man for trying!" He leaned forward slightly, his eyes scanning her face studiously. "In all seriousness though, Ri, you're looking somewhat tired. Have you been getting enough sleep?"

Arianwen shrugged, she knew her dark circles had been worsening but the image that had been plaguing her dreams showed no signs of disappearing. "Perhaps not but I've had a lot to think about, as you know."

He nodded, sighing as he pulled a scroll of parchment from his robes. "Indeed. Well I think that our visits to the council members in the North went fairly well. I'm still waiting to hear from Flintshire so we can arrange a visit, though."

Aneirin was referring to the Earl of Flintshire, the only nobleman in the North that Arianwen had not visited over the Christmas holidays. "Should I be concerned that he hasn't responded to you yet?"

Aneirin shifted in his seat uncomfortably, "perhaps. We'll certainly have to keep an eye on him, I know that he used to go hunting with your uncle fairly regularly, so his silence may be a reflection of their friendship."

Arianwen must have looked quite concerned by this, for Aneirin placed a hand over hers comfortingly. "Just leave it with me, I'll keep you informed, don't worry."

She smiled and took the parchment that Aneirin offered her. "This has the council's seal on, what is it?"

"That's just the official document telling you that the elections for Warden of the South will take place on the 16th of August, so you have until then to get everyone on side."

Arianwen nodded, pocketing the parchment carefully. "Okay, so that gives me about six mo-"

She was interrupted by a chair knocking into hers sharply.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" A brunette woman tried to pull Arianwen's chair back out for her.

"No, no, that's alright- Wait! Leah? Is that you?"

The brunette froze, her mouth falling open as she realised who she'd bumped into. Her head bowed down and she curtsied, saying, "My Lady. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you!"

"Nonsense!" Arianwen said, taking the brunette's hands. "I haven't seen you in months!"

"You two know each other?" Aneirin asked confusedly.

"Yes! This is Miss Leah Jones, she used to be my maid. Although…" Arianwen tailed off, her brow furrowing. "I never did find out why you left."

Leah blushed and looked away, her eyes darting around as if looking for some way to escape. A loud wailing cry reverberated from behind her and she cringed at the sound, her head sinking lower in shame.

"I-uh-I-" the cries grew louder and more urgent. Arianwen stepped past Leah and smiled when she saw the source of the sound; a small baby was huddled in blankets in his pram, his eyes screwed up as he wailed for attention.

"Oh, Leah! Is this why you left?"

Leah nodded, still not making eye contact with Arianwen. "He's gorgeous!" Arianwen cooed, bending down to pick up the small boy and rock him in her arms. "There there, lovely boy, it's okay! Shh."

After a few moments of being rocked backwards and forwards, and hearing the soothing sound of Arianwen's voice, the baby's cries stalled and he opened his eyes to gaze upon his comforter.

Arianwen gasped. The little boy had soft, muted green eyes with tiny speckles of amber around the iris.

 _Arianwen's eyes._

"It can't be..." Arianwen muttered. She stared wildly at her ex-maid. "Leah! Whose baby is this?!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry I didn't update when I said I would, I went on a cruise and thought it would have wifi but it didn't!

MissBlack2: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far, let me know when you've caught up :)

Aurora: Ahhh your reviews make me chuckle! Ooh so you think Voldy was too lenient...interesting, I'll work on it for next time ;) So you liked the drama of chappies 11 & 12 - well there's plenty more drama on the way!

Thank you to everyone that has reviewed, followed and favourited so far! I'd love to know what you're all thinking about the story so far, so please leave a review or PM me if you're shy!


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Gone

**Warning: this chapter contains scenes of a sexual nature, read the first scene then skip to the middle if you'd like to avoid it.**

 **Chapter Sixteen: Gone**

"Well?" Arianwen hissed, getting frustrated by Leah's emotional unresponsiveness.

The brunette kept her head low, avoiding eye contact with Arianwen.

"Why don't we all just take a seat and calm down, eh?" Aneirin said calmly, pulling out Arianwen's chair for her to sit with the baby still in her arms. Leah followed obediently, she couldn't deny an order from someone with such high status as Aneirin.

Arianwen glanced around carefully, checking to see if they'd drawn anyone's attention but luckily as they were speaking in fast Welsh, no one bothered to look.

"I'm sorry darling," Arianwen said softly, she desperately wanted answers but was afraid to spook the girl, "I didn't mean to startle you. It's just that this baby, well, without wishing to sound vain – I think we have the same eyes, the Gwydion eyes…"

Leah sniffed and nodded, she looked up at Arianwen, tears flooding from her eyes. Arianwen felt her heart sink; Leah had left just before her father passed away, she didn't pay much note at the time for her attention was taken up by the funeral, but now that she'd seen this baby… She couldn't help but wonder…

"Leah, please. I need to know, is this child my brother?" She struggled to keep the urgency from her voice.

The maid took a long drink of from her flagon, her fingers trembling around it as she clenched on for support. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out other than an odd croak.

She took a deep breath and tried again.

"N-no he's not your brother, the Duke was an honourable man, he would never have laid a finger on me." She took another gulp from her cup and stared fixedly at some flimsy coasters that had been enchanted to tap dance across the table.

 _Okay so the child isn't my brother… But let's not forget Uncle Dafydd._

"It was Lord Gwydion." She whispered the confirmation Arianwen was dreading, "he… he raped me-" An horrendous sob burst from her mouth and Arianwen reddened, seeing people turning around in their chairs to look at them in confusion.

Aneirin placed a comforting arm around Leah's shoulders, shushing her quietly while exchanging a horrified look with Arianwen.

 _So this child is my cousin?_ Arianwen smiled at the little baby in her arms; he'd snuggled his face into her chest and was now sleeping peacefully.

"What's his name?" Arianwen asked shortly, hoping to distract Leah from her public outburst.

"It's Lloyd, after my grandfather." She mumbled between sniffs.

Arianwen smiled softly, rocking the baby in her arms. "Lloyd. It suits him."

"Hello, little Lloyd Gwydion." She whispered to the little boy, caressing his cheek with her finger.

"No." Leah's voice became suddenly harsh, she glared at Arianwen. "Lloyd _Jones_."

Arianwen blushed and nodded quickly. "Of course yes, Lloyd Jones. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend-"

"It's fine." She stood up quickly, her chair legs scraping against the floor with the sudden movement. "I think I'll go now."

"Oh right, yes. Okay then, lovely." Arianwen placed a light kiss on Lloyd's forehead before carefully placing him back into his pram.

"Before you go," Aneirin said in a low voice., " Does Lord Gwydion know of the child?"

"No." Leah said flatly. "The Duke found out and told me to leave before Lord Gwydion heard the news and tried to hurt me. He said that if I stayed I would be condemning myself and my baby to a life of cruelty and torment. He offered to buy me a cottage here because he thought I'd be safer if I left Wales altogether, so obviously I accepted."

Aneirin nodded. "Well I can assure you that your secret is safe with me. I wholeheartedly agree that Lord Gwydion must not know."

Leah nodded and curtsied to him before turning to bid goodbye to Arianwen. She was unsteady on her feet and stumbled on her way to her baby's pram, she bashed into the table, causing her flagon to topple and clatter loudly on the floor.

The baby awoke and started whimpering but Leah didn't comfort him, instead she shot her child a look of utter disgust and snapped, "be quiet!"

Arianwen muffled her gasp as a cough, she needed to keep Leah on side. "May I visit?" She asked as Leah wrenched the pram away and prepared to exit the pub.

"Only if you can keep it to yourself." The girl hissed.

Arianwen was completely taken aback, the Leah she had known had always been such a timid, polite little thing. Clearly her terrible experience had changed her.

 _And can I blame her? Uncle Dafydd is not a good man._

"Of course, I won't tell a soul."

After she'd left, Aneirin turned to Arianwen slowly, keeping his voice so low that it would be inaudible to anyone but her. "Did you smell it?"

She nodded, eyes full of worry as she watched the retreating figure of her ex-maid through the window. Leah was drunk.

They stayed in the pub for a while longer, discussing the child and the importance of keeping him from his father. She shuddered at the thought of what her uncle might do if he found out about Lloyd; not only would the child be in danger but the whole of Wales would too – Dafydd had an heir now, and would undoubtedly use him as a bargaining chip for more power.

As Arianwen made her way back to the castle she couldn't help but smile. However the child had been brought into the world, he was her cousin, and she was going to do everything in her power to love and protect him.

 _I can't wait to tell Draco._

* * *

Irritatingly, Arianwen didn't manage to find Draco until later that evening. He had made a rare appearance at dinner in the Great Hall and was discussing something intently with Crabbe and Goyle.

"Draco!" Arianwen called excitedly.

They stopped speaking abruptly and turned to see her beaming at them.

"What's got you so excited?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow at her mockingly.

She opened her mouth to gush about everything that she'd learned in Hogsmeade but Leah's harsh words came back to her. _"Only if you can keep it to yourself."_

 _Ah… Maybe not then._

"I er- I was just wondering what you'd like for your birthday?" She offered uncertainly.

"My birthday? It's not for another month!" She heard Crabbe and Goyle snigger in the background and felt heat rising in her cheeks.

"Yes I know that but I just saw a few things in Hogsmeade that got me inspired so I thought I'd better ask just in case I've got it completely wrong and-"

He stood and placed a finger over her lips to silence her. "Okay, enough jibbering. I'll have a think."

She nodded lamely and he dropped his hand from her face, he offered it to her chivalrously. "Shall we go for a walk?"

It turned out that Draco's idea of a 'walk' was actually a quick journey to their abandoned potions classroom, where he had her propped up against the desk they usually worked at and was kissing her rather intimately.

"Draco!" She gasped as his fingers slid beneath her skirt.

"Oh come on," he encouraged, nipping at her neck as he kissed his way down. "I know you want it as much as I do."

"I do not!" She exclaimed in protest.

"Are you sure?" His whispered into her ear huskily, biting the lobe to tease her. She let out a poorly concealed moan and felt him smiling against her jaw as he kissed it. In a subtle movement, his fingers pushed her underwear to one side and slid over her.

"Because it would appear that you do want me, a _lot_."

She flushed a deep crimson and attempted to wriggle away but he caught her easily and held her steady.

"Now now, Arianwen, you're awfully jumpy this evening." He drawled.

Arianwen closed her eyes, trying to block out her embarrassment; he was very good with his hands. "Well when you're touching me like-" His fingers slid inside of her. "-like that, it's hardly…hardly-" She moaned loudly as he massaged her. "-oh god Draco!"

He took that as his queue to remove her skirt entirely and push her gently down upon the length of the table. Her eyes widened as he kissed his way up her thigh, gently massaging her with his fingers as he teased her. He paused when his kisses reached her delicate underwear.

"May I?" He asked sounding oddly polite, she would have laughed at his chivalry had she not been so painfully aware of her desperate desire for him..

Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed into his eyes, they were full of passion and hunger, an effect that made him quite uncontrollably handsome. She nodded lamely, unable to form words, and watched as he slowly pulled at the lacy fabric with his teeth until they fell to the floor.

What he did next both delighted and shocked Arianwen at once, and she found herself humming and moaning with each flick of his tongue. It was a miracle, really, that no one discovered them for they hadn't even locked the door to the classroom but somehow that knowledge just impassioned the pair even further. Draco couldn't help but grin as he watched his girlfriend squeeze her eyes shut and pull at her hair at his touch. It delighted him that he could arouse her so much and he felt himself harden as she gave another particularly stimulating groan.

He wanted to claim her, to make her his own but an irritating voice in his head told him it was too soon.

 _You're lucky she's even letting you get this far._

He could feel her getting close to her peak, her legs had started trembling and her moans grew higher and more frequent. He picked up the pace, his tongue flicking backwards and forwards rapidly; he pushed two fingers up her and tilted them towards her belly button. The noise she made in that moment was one of complete heightened arousal and he knew he'd done it. He pulled away gently and held her legs steady for fear that she'd kick him involuntarily if he didn't, the trembling had reached an alarming level. She panted heavily for a few moments before making eye contact with him, he winked seductively at her, his most handsome grin brightening his features.

She covered her face in her hands, unable to handle his cheeky smile.

"You alright there, babe?" He offered casually, sitting beside her on the table and pulling her into his lap.

She nodded and rested her forehead against his chin, her hands lacing around his neck delicately. "Draco-"

"Shh. What was that?" He silenced her quickly and leapt up, setting her on her feet in one movement.

A distant shuffling sound was coming from the beyond the doorway.

"Someone's coming!" Arianwen hissed! She grabbed her clothes and started ramming them back on as quickly as possible. "Draco, they can't see us like this!"

"They can't see _you_ like this, I'll be fine." He tapped his wand on her and she felt the familiar feeling of an egg being split over her head and dribbling down her back as his disillusionment charm took effect.

Professor Slughorn sidled into the room, muttering something under his breath about unicorn hair.

"Draco, my boy! What are you doing in here? We don't have potions today do we?"

"Uh- no, sir, we don't."

Professor Slughorn looked at him curiously as he wandered away from the door and over to one of the many supply cupboards. Arianwen took her opportunity and slipped out of the classroom, she hurried round the corner of the corridor and swished her wand around herself in a circular motion so that she'd become fully visible again.

Draco appeared ten minutes later looking irritated. "Only gone and got myself another essay to do for extra credit." He growled.

Arianwen couldn't help but giggle at his annoyed scowl and he soon joined in, draping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer as they made their way back to the common room.

"Thank you for doing that, I don't know what I would've said if he caught us both there."

Draco gave her a small smile. "That's alright, I wouldn't want to ruin that perfect reputation of yours."

Arianwen looked away uncomfortably. "I feel guilty sometimes." She mumbled.

Draco looked at her inquisitively. "Oh? Why's that?"

"Well because… I mean what would my Father think if he knew what we've been up to? He'd be so ashamed of me! I should be acting like more of a la-"

"Ri, stop." Draco said softly, pulling her to one side and lifting her chin with his hand. "You're your own woman now. With your father gone… Well, you don't need to answer to anyone else."

"But what about you?"

Draco's brow furrowed in confusion so she sighed, continuing. "You'll lose interest! Men like you don't want to marry loose women, you'll have your fun with them, sure, but you'll never want to have anything serious. And don't get me wrong, I know I'm not the perfectly innocent little princess but I would also hope that I'm not-"

Draco's lips pressed against her own, halting her speech. It was a forceful kiss, Draco's arms tightened around her possessively as he dominated the kiss but she allowed it, feeling rather light headed.

"You don't have to believe all the tales you've been told as a child, Ri. I'm not going to leave you just because we're intimate together, if anything it brings us closer."

Arianwen smiled, the intensity in his eyes was making her knees weak, he seemed so desperate to make her understand his feelings that a wonderful warmth spread through her. She leant forward and kissed him tenderly.

"You'll be the death of me, Draco Malfoy."

* * *

 _Valentine's Day…_

The 14th of February fell on a Wednesday that year and the whole school was buzzing with teenage excitement. People had been receiving gifts all day, some had roses delivered to the object of their affection during classes or at lunchtime and others had been serenaded by singing dwarves as onlookers hooted and giggled. Arianwen had had neither and by the time her last period came around, she was in a rather foul mood.

"I haven't even seen him all day! Do you think he's forgotten?" Arianwen complained to Blaise as they walked arm in arm to their potions class.

"I know for a fact that he hasn't so just calm down and wait for whatever he's planning for you." Blaise drawled, it was the third time she'd asked him that day.

"How do you know for a fact? Has he told you something?"

"I've already told you that I'm not saying anything else so stop asking me, woman!"

Arianwen pouted and stalked over to her usual potions desk, ignoring Blaise's cries of "who am I going to work with now?!"

No one tried to sit next to her, they probably knew that Draco would hex them if they did, so she began the lesson alone, listening intently as Professor Slughorn described the best method to produce a Shrinking Solution. About ten minutes into the lesson, the door swang open and Draco walked in, looking windswept.

"Sorry I'm late Professor." He didn't offer an explanation as to why.

"No problem dear boy, take a seat. We're going to be brewing Shrinking Solutions today."

Draco smiled courteously at him and scanned the classroom for Arianwen. His eyes lit up when he saw her and a wicked grin spread across his face; he looked at the desk then back to Arianwen, smile growing further.

She suddenly realised that it was the very same desk that they'd been fooling around on the other day. He noticed her blush and winked at her, the exact same cheeky wink that he'd given her after he'd made her climax.

An odd strangled noise came from Arianwen's throat, she blushed furiously as her classmates looked around at her in surprise. Draco looked positively gleeful as he dropped his bag under the desk and patted her back.

"Poor thing has a cough."

Arianwen saw Harry Potter and Ron Weasley exchange a bewildered look, the only time they'd ever heard Draco talk about a 'poor' anything was when he was talking about the Weasley's.

"Right then class, you have an hour and a half to brew your potions and the winning pair will earn 20 points each for their house."

There was a scraping of chairs as the students all hurried towards the supply cupboards to collect the necessary ingredients.

"Come along then, my little lamb." He said, gesturing towards the supply cupboards.

"You're in a very good mood today." She mumbled, following him to the back of the room.

He simply smiled and started passing her the ingredients; two shrivelfigs, a jar of caterpillars, a rat spleen, and-

"Oi Potter, we saw it first." He snatched a bottle of leech juice from Harry's hands.

"Wait your turn, Malfoy. I picked it up before you."

"Now now, boys. What seems to be the problem over here?" Professor Slughorn had come to investigate the raised voices.

"Malfoy's trying to take the leech juice off us, sir."

Draco rolled his eyes. _Such a bloody suck up._

"Dear me, is that true Draco? If there aren't enough bottles of juice then you'll just have to share with Harry."

Draco inclined his head to the professor and bent to whisper in Arianwen's ear when Slughorn's attention had turned to Harry.

"I don't like sharing." Draco whispered as he traced his finger down her stomach, continuing to her-

"Armhmhhh!" Arianwen squealed.

Professor Slughorn's head whipped round and he fixed Arianwen with a troubled gaze.

"Are you quite well, dear?"

"Uh-"

"I think she looks a little pale, don't you Professor? Perhaps I should take her to see Madam Pomfrey." Draco interjected.

Slughorn nodded, taking the ingredients out of Arianwen's arms and placing them on a nearby desk. "Yes I think you might be right, Malfoy. I'll let you off this lesson, make sure she gets to the Hospital Wing quickly."

When they were a safe distance from the classroom, Arianwen turned and smacked Draco's arm playfully.

"You made me look like an idiot!"

Draco just shrugged. "Not my fault I'm so irresistible."

They laughed and he took her arm to steer her.

"Where are we going?"

"Well I thought we could get changed and then go for a walk."

"An actual walk this time?"

He smirked and kissed her cheek. "If we must."

When they got back to the common room, Arianwen ran downstairs to get changed and found a large box with 'Madam Louisa's' printed on it. She opened it to see a beautiful dark green dress, it had long sleeves and was tight until the waist where the skirt became looser and would stop at her mid thigh. There was a note in the box as well, it read:

 _'You thought I forgot didn't you?_

 _Happy Valentine's Day._

 _Draco.'_

She smiled when she put it on, twirling around in the mirror. She grabbed a pair of silver heels, fixed her make up and let her hair down so it could cascade down her back freely. She hastened over to the door before pausing with her hand on the doorknob.

 _Well I suppose if we're going all out…_

She went to her jewellery box and found the beautiful diamond necklace that he'd given her at Christmas time. It rested comfortably on her chest and accentuated the dress beautifully, the neckline of which ended just below her collarbones.

Draco smiled as she re-entered the common room, he was dressed equally as smartly and held his arm out for her to take.

"You look beautiful as always."

"You like it?" She asked, twirling around for him.

"How could I not? It's perfect." He had no doubt that she would be a stunning bride for him in the future. She smiled happily and thanked him by pressing her lips to his cheek delicately. He looked at the box she was carrying in her other hand. "Is that for me?"

"Perhaps… But you don't get it until later."

They made their way out into the grounds just as everyone was leaving their final class of the day, the students stared as they passed and Draco smirked, enjoying being able to show off his girlfriend. When they were outside, he summoned his broom and ignored Arianwen's protests, clutching her with his arm and making her sit on it. He flew them to a distant area of the grounds, where the castle looked more like a little stone model, and set them down at the base of a hilly area. Arianwen looked thoroughly confused and he laughed, he muttered an incantation under his breath and watched as she gasped in awe.

A small white linen marquee had appeared in front of her, illuminated by candles that were suspended in the air around it. The marquee was filled with cushions and blankets on one end and had a romantically decorated table on the other end, with two wooden chairs either side of it.

"So this is why I didn't see you all day?" He nodded in affirmation. "Oh Draco, it's lovely, thank you!"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him affectionately, pulling away after a while to rest her head on his chest. She smiled as his fingers wound their way into her hair, playing with it absently. They stayed in that position for a while, watching the sun set and swaying lightly.

After a romantic meal, the two had settled themselves in the nest of blankets and cushions and were snuggled together.

"So do I get to see what's inside that box yet?" Draco asked as he twirled a bit of her long golden hair around his finger.

"Oh yes of course!" She picked up the box and passed it to him, sitting cross legged as she watched him open it.

He undid the catch carefully and lifted the heavy wooden lid. Out flew a yellowy-gold dragon, about a two foot in length, it flapped its long wings to soar around their heads and eventually landed on Draco's forearm.

"He's a Snowdonian Lancehead, a replica of course, their native to Snowdonia in Wales and he's been charmed to breath fire on anything you tell him to. He won't do a lot of damage though, obviously."

A large smile grew over Draco's face as he inspected the magnificent creature. Both its head and tail were shaped like a lance and a darker golden colour than the rest of the creature, its expansive wings were covered in tiny hooked ridges, and it's eyes were a dark crimson red.

"And look," she said, pulling out her wand, "he's the same breed as my patronus!" She cast the spell and they watched as a huge silvery dragon materialised from her wand. It flew around the marquee, breathing out silver whisps of flame before it disappeared again.

"It's incredible! I can't wait to set it on Potter…" He watched the tiny dragon soar around the marquee absently, lost in his thoughts.

"Shall we name him?"

Draco grinned and racked his head for a decent name for his new pet. "How about Abraxas, that was my Grandfather's name; he died from Dragon Pox, ironically."

Arianwen smiled and stroked the dragon's scales when he landed in her lap. "Yes that suits him well doesn't it, Abraxas the dragon."

She felt his hand warm her cheek as he turned her face towards her, they gazed into each other's eyes passionately and eventually their lips met, moving with such a perfect magnetic rhythm that Arianwen felt her stomach jolting repeatedly.

* * *

They stayed out for as long as they dared after curfew until grudgingly returning to the castle. As they neared the common room they heard loud shouts of laughter, it sounded like most of the Slytherin's were still awake.

Pansy Parkinson was at the centre of a large crowd, she was standing on a coffee table and held a large leather bound book in her hands. Draco raised an eyebrow at Arianwen curiously and they moved closer.

"Nice of you to finally join us." She shouted to the pair, smirking evilly.

"What are you doing now?" Draco asked in a bored tone.

"We're holding a book burning ceremony, duh!" She pointed her wand at the book and shouted, "incendio!"

Arianwen's eyes widened in horror as she realised a second too late what the object that Pansy was burning was. It was her photo album.

"No!" She cried desperately, attempting to fight through the crowd to get to it.

By the time she'd shot a jet of water at the album, it was too far gone. She stared at it in horror, her legs went weak and she fell to her knees.

The photos of her family were gone, her last tangible memories of them…gone.

She felt Draco's hands pulling her to her feet but she pushed him off, suddenly seeing red.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" She screamed at Pansy, launching herself toward her. Pansy squealed and tried to run away but Arianwen drew her wand and seconds later a string of flames burst from it, stretching into the form of a dragon. It must have been at least ten times larger than the one she gave Draco and it rounded on Pansy, fire catapulting towards her.

The people in the crowd screamed in unison, all desperately clawing and clambering over each other to save themselves.

 _They needn't bother_. Arianwen thought sickly, her mouth twitching into a maniacal smile. _It's only her I want to burn._

She got her wish. The fiery shaped dragon had cornered Pansy and stood on its hind legs, it reclined its head back, mustering all of its energy into one long explosion of fire.

Pansy screamed, a high, terrified scream.

It didn't last long; someone flew into the room and pointed their wand at Pansy and the dragon, a jet of water quelling the flames. It was Professor Snape. He immediately ran over to Pansy to examine her burns and ordered Crabbe to take her to the Hospital Wing before rounding on Arianwen.

"GWYDION!" He bellowed. She did not flinch, her wand arm still raised, she turned her piercing stare to the professor. "Headmaster's office, now!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Writers Block! I struggled with this chapter so badly, hence why it's taken so long. I have everything planned for the future but I'm struggling to get their sixth year finished. If anyone has any suggestions or anything you'd like to see more/less of, I'd love to hear them! **Please review!**

To everyone that has reviewed since I posted the last chapter, thank you sooo much, I love you all!

ForeverTeamEdward13: you were so close! Sorry for taking a while with this update, as of September I'll be a lot more regular :)

RT: thank you for all your comments, I enjoyed your honesty. What did you think was moving too fast, the pace of the story or Draco and Arianwen's relationship? Don't worry, I know she's gone a bit soft at the minute but that is intentional, she'll be getting back to her old self soon and you should see many more of her snappy comments then.

StarletSpotlight: ah how I've missed you! I'm glad you've been picking up at my hints towards a breakdown, it won't be long now! I have a little gift for you in a few chapters time...

MissBlack2: So you noticed that I still haven't introduced Uncle Dafydd, well done ;) he'll feature quite soon, that's all I'll disclose!

Aurora: it's true, people just love to hate Pansy in fan fiction! I like your theory, Dafydd certainly does scare people and it'll be a consistent theme throughout. You won't find out the extent of his power for a little while though.

Thank you all for sticking with me, I'll try and battle on and work through the writer's block.


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Discordance

**A/N:** Thank you so much to ForeverTeamEdward13, MissBlack2 and my guest reviewer for sharing your thoughts on the last chapter. Greetings to my new story followers, I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

 **Chapter Seventeen: Discordance**

"Lady Arianwen, I hope you understand the seriousness of your situation?" Professor Dumbledore was surveying her over his half moon spectacles, his gaze was stern and his lips were pressed into a thin line.

"Of course, Professor." She replied politely, meeting his gaze with a blank expression.

The headmaster frowned and turned to the head of Slytherin House. "How serious are Miss Parkinson's burns, Severus?"

"Second degree." Arianwen answered automatically, in a drone. "She'll need three to four applications of pistacia ointment, a tonic for the pain and plenty of rest. She'll be out of the Hospital Wing within twenty four to forty eight hours."

Snape and Dumbledore exchanged a solemn glance. "So you were aware of the consequences of your actions against Miss Parkinson?"

Arianwen inclined her head. "I was."

"And you feel no remorse for causing such grievous harm to your classmate?"

"I do not."

Professor Dumbledore sighed deeply, his tone becoming less patient than before. "Very well. Seeing that you admit you were fully aware of your actions and have expressed no feelings of contrition, I shall have to suspend you from Hogwarts School for one week. I will write to your uncle to inform him, and you will leave on Friday morning."

"Yes, Professor."

The headmaster paused, the girl's apathetic coolness shocked him. She was not impolite nor did she shout about how much she hated Pansy and how she deserved everything coming to her, she simply sat very still, hands folded neatly in her lap, and looked at him emotionlessly. He'd have to try a different tactic.

"Before you leave Lady Arianwen, I feel that I must inform you that I will be withdrawing my name from your petition to retain your father's title over your uncle. I cannot support a person who can so readily inflict pain on another. Do you understand?"

Arianwen's cool gaze became icy, deadly even.

"She destroyed my photo album for no apparent reason; that album contained my only photos of my family, and now I have nothing left of them bar a few trinkets. I sought revenge and I will not apologise for it. However, that does not mean that I cannot care for my people, that I would become power hungry, cruel or sadistic; you need not remove your name from my petition."

Dumbledore placed the tips of his fingers together to form an arch, pondering his reply as he gave the girl a searching look.

"Ah but you see, my Lady, if I did not take drastic action then I am afraid that you may not notice yourself evolving into a person much like your uncle. I shall remove my name, and you would be wise to take this week as a chance to gain some perspective on the type of role model you intend to be."

Arianwen struggled not to roll her eyes. She wanted to shake him, _how can he not see the justification in my actions? The man's a fool._

They stared at each other for a long time, before Arianwen nodded and stood. She gave him a long, cold stare before making one last comment.

"Then our deal is off Professor. Goodnight." She strode defiantly from the room. _You can educate your own fucking mudbloods, I'm not going to defy my ancestors for nothing_.

* * *

She took a long route back to the common room that night, not wanting to run into any more of her housemates. By the time she had returned the emerald flames were dying away and no one was in sight.

 _Good_.

She moved silently over to the coffee table where Pansy had burned her photo album. It had all been cleaned away except for a tiny scorch mark on the rug beneath the table, Arianwen ran her fingers over it longingly, wishing for the album to materialise from her touch; unsurprisingly, it did not.

She sighed deeply but felt no urge to cry. It was comforting really, ever since Governess Matthews had taught her how to suppress her emotions, she'd relished the feeling of serene insensitivity; ignorance was indeed bliss. However, since attending Hogwarts her control over herself had waivered, she cringed at the thought of how many times she'd cried in front of Draco. _No, that simply will not do._

Now that she thought of him, she wondered where he was; she'd expected that he might wait for her, maybe even attempt to comfort her. She looked around slowly, double checking that there definitely wasn't anyone in the common room. Her eyes stopped on a shadow lurking in the corner of the room.

"I wondered when you'd notice me." Draco said, crossing the space between them within a few strides and taking the seat next to her.

They sat silently for a while before he spoke again. "What did Dumbledore say?"

"I'm suspended for a week starting on Friday." She said gloomily.

He didn't say anything, simply choosing to nod instead.

"Pansy's fine by the way, Madam Pomfrey says she'll be back to normal within a day or two."

"I know." Arianwen muttered, glaring at the charred spot on the floor.

Draco sighed. "You could have really hurt her you know, Ri. What were you thinking conjuring that dragon?"

Arianwen's eyes moved slowly to Draco's, he looked stern, his mouth was down turned and his eyes stared into hers judgingly. She felt anger bubbling inside her, _how can he defend her after what she did?_

"I was _thinking_ ," she said through gritted teeth, "that she needed to be taught a lesson. I obviously wasn't going to _actually_ kill her!"

Draco scowled and stood up so that he could pace in front of the fireplace. "That doesn't matter! She's got severe burns on her face-"

"Might make her a bit prettier." Arianwen cut in snidely.

"Enough! That's not funny, Ri. You need to learn to control your emotions!"

"Control my emotions?" Her voice rose with every word. "Have you any idea how bloody _controlled_ my emotions are right now?! Do NOT piss me off any further, Draco, I could cause a lot more fucking damage than I did today!"

Her shouting had clearly awoken most of their house as students started filing into the common room, rubbing their eyes and looking confused.

"You're not as bloody invincible as you think you are, Arianwen! I'm not saying that Pansy was in the right-"

"No but you're not saying that I was right either, are you? If you care about Pansy so much, why don't you go back to her bedside? Buy some stupid expensive face cream to fix the ugly bitch if you want!"

"Don't see you complaining about Malfoy's gifts, Gwydion!" An onlooker screeched to tumultuous applause from their housemates.

Arianwen's face flushed as she realised what she was wearing; her embarrassment was worsened by Draco's expression, he looked amused and almost… mocking. "Fine." She said quietly, unfastening the necklace and pressing it into his chest. "I don't want it. I don't want any of it."

His eyes widened when she started unzipping the dress too.

"What the hell are you doing? You're going to make a scene for Merlin's sake!" He snarled, stepping forward to shield her from view to no avail, they'd drawn such a large crowd that he couldn't possibly cover her from all angles. The dress slipped off easily, leaving her only covered by a short silk slip.

"Jheeze Malfoy, if you don't want her then I'll take her!" Jeered one of the seventh year boys, Phillip Vaisey.

Draco shot a hex at him and with a shriek Vaisey started blubbering, spitting soapy suds from his mouth. He turned back to see Arianwen fleeing the common room and ran after her, managing to grab her arm before she stepped beyond the tapestry.

"Arianwen! Don't just fucking run off!"

"Why not, Draco? You've chosen your side, I don't have to stick around!" She wrenched her arm from his grasp and pushed the tapestry to one side. She'd placed one foot into the corridor before turning back.

"You have no idea how I feel do you, how it feels to have lost those pictures? If you did, you wouldn't have defended her."

He stared at her open mouthed and when he didn't say anything, she turned silently and walked away.

* * *

Somehow Arianwen made it all the way to the Owlery without being detected, she stood at a window ledge over looking the grounds and cursed herself for ever trusting Draco Malfoy.

An owl hooted softly behind her, causing her to jump and spin around.

"Archimedes!" She greeted, smiling as the owl gazed at her from his perch. He hooted again, his eyes focusing on something beyond her. She followed his gaze to see a small fire burning gently at the end of the Owlery, presumably to keep them warm in the winter months.

 _Clever bird!_ She sat down on a kneeling cushion and scooted as close to the fire as she could. She was surprised by how cosy it was and shuffled so her head was resting on the cushion. It wasn't long before her eyelids drooped shut and she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Uh… Hello?"

Arianwen opened her eyes slowly, aware of a cold hand shaking her shoulder. She blinked a few times and saw a dark haired figure standing over her, his head turned away awkwardly. She sat up slowly, wincing as her back clicked.

 _Ouch! What the hell? Wait… Where am I?_

The events of the previous night sped to the forefront of her mind. _Oh yes, the Owlery_.

"Hi, er-sorry, I don't make a habit of this." She got to her feet and shivered, the Owlery seemed much colder than it had last night.

The boy who'd awoken her turned around and smiled sheepishly, it was Harry Potter.

"So what are you doing up here anyway?"

"I… I had a little disagreement with a few of my housemates and decided to go for a walk, and then I just ended up in here, I suppose." Harry nodded absently. "You wouldn't happen to have the time, would you?"

He checked his watch. "It's six-thirty, so you should be able to get back before anyone sees you." He turned red, trying not to let his eyes stray from her face.

Arianwen blushed as well. "Right yes, I'd better be going then."

She took a few steps towards the door before he called out for her to stop.

"Here, you look cold." He unfastened his cloak and held it out for her, she took it gladly, smiling thankfully at him.

"That's kind, thank you." She surveyed him for a few moments; while his face was arranged in a polite smile, she couldn't miss the troubled look in his eyes. "Are you alright, Potter?"

He shrugged and gave her a knowing smile. "Oh yes, I'm fine. I couldn't sleep so decided to go for a walk and my feet brought me here, I guess we have that in common."

Arianwen chuckled, "we'll have to keep that to ourselves then or our housemates will have our heads!"

Harry grinned, it was probably the first conversation he'd had with a Slytherin that didn't include any insults. "Shall we head back then? Breakfast will be starting soon."

Arianwen agreed and they made their way down the steep steps and out into the corridor.

"So, what happened last night?" He asked casually. She raised an eyebrow at him but he had the decency to look a little guilty. "Sorry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to!"

 _He seems genuine enough I suppose, I'll just give him the short story._

"Well, since I got to Hogwarts I've been struggling to get along with Pansy Parkinson – do you know her?"

"Yeah I know her alright. She goes out of her way to be horrible to one of my best friends, Hermione."

Arianwen nodded. "Yes it seems that your friend isn't the only one then. She took a disliking to me almost instantly and now that I'm going out with her beloved Draco, she hates me even more. Unfortunately, last night she decided to channel her hatred into burning one of my most precious possessions and I got angry and hexed her… and now I'm being suspended."

Harry's eyebrows raised so high they were half the way to reaching his hairline. "Suspended? For how long?"

"Just a week. Between you and me, I think I'm actually looking forward to it, I miss my friends from my old school."

He seemed to understand this, and she smiled. _I don't know why Draco hates him so much, he seems fine… Maybe even nice!_

"Do you mind me asking what it was that Parkinson destroyed?"

Arianwen paused, surveying the boy next to her. He seemed to be genuinely concerned, rather than trying to dig for information that he could use against her later as plenty of her fellow housemates would do.

"It was a photo album, my only photo album actually. It had pictures of my family in it, mostly just silly snapshots of the times we spent messing around together but they were all the pictures I had." _And they were special._

"Ah." He said thoughtfully. "I have one too, Hagrid gave it it me at the end of first year, he'd managed to gather a load of pictures from my parents' old friends. I can't imagine how I would feel if I didn't have it anymore - my parents died too, you know."

 _Yes Potter I'm quite aware, I didn't grow up in a hole._

She decided to simply nod and they lapsed into silence, their footsteps echoing rhythmically.

"Do you miss them a lot, Potter?"

His bold emerald green eyes met her light olive green ones and his lips curved into a sad smile. She understood him perfectly.

"You don't need to call me Potter by the way, Harry is fine."

"Then you may call me-"

"Arianwen!" A voice shouted, though it wasn't her own.

Draco was marching towards them, looking positively livid.

"Where the _hell_ did you go last night? You didn't even have your wand for pete's sake, you could've frozen half to death!" He stopped in front of her, seething.

Harry coughed awkwardly. Draco's eyes narrowed as he noticed his presence for the first time, he'd been so caught up with finding her that she had been his sole focus. His eyes quickly ran over the Gryffindor cloak and he took a step back, his upper lip curling in disgust.

"Oh but I see that I needn't have worried, looks like Potter has kept you warm enough." His tone was deadly but Arianwen didn't miss the slightest glimmer of hurt in his eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous, it wasn't like that! We bumped into each other and Harry gave me his cloak because, as you so rightly deduced, I was freezing!"

"So it's _Harry_ now, is it?" He hissed, his withering stare snapping to the Gryffindor.

"Calm down Malfoy, I haven't done anything with your girlfriend." Harry said calmly, albeit with his hand clutching his wand.

"I bet you'd love to try though wouldn't you, Potter? You've always been envious of my life, and your little weasel too!"

Harry scoffed. "Jealous of _your_ life? A father rotting away in Azkaban, a weak mother, and a couple of trolls as mates… Nah, I think I'm okay as I am, thanks."

"Shut it, Potter! It's a pity you didn't have parents to teach you how to speak to a pureblood; they really shouldn't allow orphans to learn magic, you're just as bad as the mudbloods."

Irritatingly for Draco, Harry looked triumphant, his eyes falling upon Arianwen. Draco looked at her too and felt his stomach drop as he realised what he'd just said.

"Is that right?" She asked coldly.

"No, Ri, you don't understand! I didn't mean you!" He grabbed her arm imploringly but she jumped back as though his touch had burned her skin.

"I understand perfectly, Draco!" She glared at him, the wretched feeling of betrayal coursing through her.

"Arianwen, _please!"_ He begged desperately.

She shook her head violently and staggered back. "No. I don't want to hear it." Turning on her heel she stormed off, not even looking back when she heard Harry and Draco become locked in a duel, shouting spells furiously at each other.

 _I hope Harry wins_.

* * *

 **A/N: Please review!**

So I have a few questions for you guys:

1\. Who do you think is in the wrong, Arianwen or Draco?

2\. How quickly should they forgive each other, if at all?

I'll use your answers as my direction for the next chapter so please let me know your thoughts!


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Estranged

**A/N:** Well this one took a little while didn't it? I've been swamped so stayed up till 2:30am to get this finished for you guys, I hope you enjoy it - there's less Draco in this chapter but lots of important plot points so let me know what you think!

Thank you sooo much to ForeverTeamEdward13, Aurora, and my Guest reviewer for answering the questions that I put at the bottom of the previous chapter...your wish is my command! Thank you for sharing your opinions with me, I'm always curious to see whether you interpret the characters and events in the same way as I do.

Anyway, on with the chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter Eighteen: Estranged**

Arianwen stared into the fire in the Slytherin common room, silently praying that her uncle wouldn't be the one to collect her from Hogwarts. It was nine thirty on Friday morning and all of her fellow sixth years were in the common room for their free period before their Charms class at ten. She hadn't bothered to go to breakfast and had hoped that her classmates would leave her to be alone in the common room until she left to begin her suspension; they did not. Pansy had been released from the Hospital Wing the night before and Arianwen had heard her loudly whispering a plan to the other girls in their dormitory to stick around and humiliate her in front of her uncle.

Blaise was the only person Arianwen would speak to, he'd offered to stay with her for moral support but she denied him, advising that she'd rather just sit alone. He had instead placed himself on a sofa next to Draco and the other boys but she was still aware of him looking at her from time to time, as if he expected her to jump up and start attacking Pansy at any given moment.

She had managed to avoid Draco since their argument the day before but as Snape had told her that by no means could she leave the common room until she was picked up, she was forced to endure his presence.

The flames popped and crackled with a gust of wind, reflecting her sullen mood. The hem of her cloak fluttered lightly as someone walked passed and the sofa cushions shifted as they sat down beside her. She didn't bother to look up, glaring into the fire was far more satisfying.

"Where's that smile that could light up a city?" The person next to her spoke, his deep, jovial voice causing Arianwen's heart to skip a beat excitedly.

A wide, beaming smile radiated from her mouth and the man chuckled. "There it is."

"Earl Bedwyr! I didn't expect to see you!"

Gwyn's father smiled at her mischievously."No I'm sure you didn't. I thought it might make a nice change for you to come and stay with us over the weekend. I heard your uncle talking about your suspension and managed to convince him to agree after a few drinks."

"Oh how lovely, thank you." She knew it would take more than a few drinks to get her uncle to pass up an opportunity to put her to shame but she didn't want to question him.

"It's the least I can do, my dear. Your father would never forgive me if I allowed you to be in the presence of that vile man for an extended period of time. I suppose you moved to Pembroke Castle to get some distance from him."

Arianwen nodded while giving him a small smile, she wished that she could stay in Myddfai House but it would wreck her nerves knowing that she could run into her uncle at any time.

"Does Gwyn know that I'm staying with you?"

The man beamed and puffed his chest out as he always did when speaking of his cherished son. "Why of course! He practically begged me to allow it, not that it was necessary mind you." He smiled approvingly at Arianwen, "I must say that I was most disappointed when I heard that you were no longer in a relationship with Gwyn. He's still absolutely smitten with you, my girl, are you sure you won't pursue anything? Perhaps consider marrying him?"

 _Oh this is too perfect._ Arianwen tried not to look at Draco despite feeling his eyes burning into the back of her neck.

She faked a blush and smiled coyly at the Earl. "One must never say never, my Lord."

The Earl clapped his hands together in excitement, as though Arianwen had just definitively affirmed an engagement with his son. "Excellent! You'll make a fine match, I've always said so. Dewi and I were beside ourselves when we first saw you taking an interest in one another. You'd have most of the South if you were joined, you know; then all you'd need to do is marry your heir off to the daughter of the Earl of Glamorganshire and you'd own the whole lot!"

Arianwen couldn't help but laugh, remembering a very similar conversation she'd had in the Three Broomsticks a few months ago. "Yes, Gwyn said the same thing."

Earl Bedwyr chortled for a little while, his tanned complexion crinkling more with each chuckle. "Right then, my Lady, shall we make a move?"

Arianwen rose to her feet elegantly, aware that Draco's eyes were still following her every movement. She smiled and waved to Blaise before allowing her eyes to rest upon Draco, his jaw was clenched as though pained, but other than that his expression remained completely neutral. As their gaze connected, she felt her stomach flip nervously but she did not allow her composure to waiver. With a curt nod, she tore her eyes away and strode defiantly from the common room.

* * *

Gwyn had invited their other friends to spend the weekend at his house with Arianwen. Owain, Carwyn and Brianne had all been very supportive of Arianwen when she explained the events leading to her suspension and they all agreed that they would have acted similarly.

Friday evening had been spent drinking and laughing with Gwyn's parents and sisters but by midnight they'd retreated to 'the den': a room adjoining the billiards room that they'd erected a make-shift tent in when they were younger. The five friends fell asleep there, Brianne snuggled between Owain and Carwyn and Arianwen cwtched up next to Gwyn.

As the weather was forgiving on Saturday, they went for a ride with some of the family's horses; venturing through the flower strewn forests of King's Wood and along part of Offa's Dyke Path. Arianwen smiled as she thought of Gwyn's teasing as they rode along the path.

 _"_ _You can carry on going if you want Ri, love." He said as he slowed his horse to take in a magnificent view of the Black Mountains._

 _Arianwen slowed her horse as well, coming to a stop beside Gwyn. "What are you on about?"_

 _"_ _Well if you carry on for twenty odd miles, you'll get to Chepstow and then just forty more until you're in Wiltshire with your fancy little English bloke."_

 _She laughed and swatted him mockingly. "He's not little, Gwyn, he's the same height as you but I'm obviously not going to ride all the way to Wiltshire because he wouldn't even be there, he's still in school."_

 _"_ _Pity." Gwyn said cheerfully, he pulled his horse around so he could face Arianwen front-on. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, his hand lingered on her cheek and his smile faded as he searched her olive green eyes intently. "I like having you all to myself again."_

Brianne handed Arianwen a butterbeer and continued to question her about her argument with Draco. It was Sunday evening, and the five friends were back in the den, enjoying the warmth from the fireplace beyond their tent.

"I still don't understand why you're so angry with him, Ri?"

Arianwen sighed and took a long swig of butterbeer before attempting to explain again. "I just didn't expect him to defend Pansy so much. The bitch destroyed my photo album and all he could say was 'you could have really hurt her', well what about what she did to me, surely I should be his priority as his girlfriend?!"

Brianne paused for a moment, apparently choosing her words carefully. "It sounds to me like he was just warning you to be more careful, hun. I mean he stayed up and waited for you to get back from the headmaster's office, surely that shows you that he cares about you? Don't you think you're being a little harsh?"

 _You didn't hear what he said to Harry._

"Whatever. I'm done talking about this." Arianwen stood abruptly and walked out of the tent and through to the next room. She rested against the windowsill in the billiards room and stared up at the moon.

Brianne shook her head but didn't try to stop her friend from leaving. She turned her attention to the boys, addressing them in hushed tones.

"Did you get Draco's letter?"

The three boys nodded; Carwyn spoke first. "Yes, I've already sent mine back to him, and I sent a letter on to a few people at the Ministry. It's a good thing he's doing for her, she really ought to appreciate him more."

Brianne smiled, Carwyn was the fairest of them all and he had always been a good judge of character.

"She will." Owain reasoned. "She just needs to cool off for a bit."

"I don't know why you're all so keen on him. I thought he was fine but Ri can do much better, she doesn't need a man that's going to judge her actions all the time." Gwyn huffed.

"That's exactly what she needs." Carwyn stated matter-of-factly. "I can't say that I disagree with what she did to that girl, it sounds like she deserved what was coming to her, but she's going to have a lot of power when she's older and she'll need someone to question her motives when she gets out of hand or she'll lose her grasp on reality."

Gwyn rolled his eyes at Carwyn. "Oh please, she's perfectly capable of handling anything that comes her way. She doesn't need some pompous English bloke to put her down all the time." He looked around at his friends in frustration; Brianne and Owain wore matching smirks, whereas Carwyn simply frowned. He shook his head and made to follow Arianwen.

"I'm going to go and find her."

He didn't have to search for long, she was staring out of the window in the next room, the large crescent moon enraptured her.

"Hi." He said softly, placing an arm across her shoulders comfortingly. "I just wanted to make sure you're alright."

He saw the corner of her mouth lift and the skin around her eyes wrinkle under the effect of her smile. She turned her head slowly to face him, moving her body closer to his; she placed her hands on his chest.

"I'm fine, I was just bored of being told to forgive him."

Gwyn smiled slightly and ran his fingers down her face, along her neck and across her collarbone, eventually resting his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not going to tell you to forgive him."

She laughed softly and tilted her head to one side. "I know. I knew I could count on you for that."

He slipped a finger under her chin and tilted it upward, so that their faces were mere centimetres apart. "You can count on me for much more than that."

He closed the gap between them, his lips meeting hers effortlessly.

* * *

 _Meanwhile at Hogwarts…_

Draco's fist clenched around his copy of Monday's Daily Prophet, he had reached the society section and had been met by a large picture of Arianwen and Gwyn smiling and laughing together.

Upon noticing his surly exterior, Blaise smirked and took his opportunity to tease his friend, reading the article aloud.

 _'_ _First student to be suspended from Hogwarts for over 30 years spends reflection time with boyfriend._

 _The Duchess-to-be, Marchioness Arianwen Gwydion, was spotted gallivanting with ex-schoolmates over the weekend rather than reflecting on her wrongdoing as the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, requested. Our photographer reported that the Marchioness kept close to another aristocrat, Lord Gwyn Bedwyr, son of the Earl of Monmouthshire and even stayed the night with him. This report comes amid claims that the heiress is spiraling out of control; we spoke to Lord Gwydion to find out more.'_

"Utter bullshit as usual." Blaise shook his head, not bothering to read the rest of the article, he scrunched the paper up and tossed it aside. His eyes moved to Draco who was still in the same position, his fist clenching the paper and his face stony.

"She only spent the night with Gwyn because his father invited her round. Come on, you heard them talking in the common room, she's obviously not cosied up in bed with him." He said quietly, so only Draco would hear.

His words were apparently of little comfort to Draco as his fist clenched even tighter causing his knuckles to turn white; he remained otherwise silent, however.

"They've been printing loads about her recently, though they always make it sound like she's losing the plot." Millicent said, frowning at her own copy of the paper.

"Well she's hardly _sane_ is she? Have you already forgotten what that psychopath did to me?" Pansy chimed in.

"No, I hav-"

"She's not a psychopath." Draco snapped.

Pansy raised her eyebrows at him disbelievingly. "But Dracie, you already admitted that she's been just _awful_ to me, everyone heard you!"

His scowl deepened, he regretted defending Pansy when all Arianwen had probably wanted was to be comforted.

 _I shouldn't have said anything, I should've just been there for her._

"I just told her to watch out, that her actions have consequences. I never said that she's been awful to you and I never will, you've been a jealous bitch from day one and you know it." He growled. Even though a small voice in his head told him that he had to accept responsibility for his fall out with Arianwen, it felt much better to blame it all on Pansy.

Pansy looked outraged. "I am NOT a jealous bitch!"

"Really? Then why are we even having this conversation?" Draco drawled.

"You know what Draco? Fuck you! I'm tired of waiting around for you, we used to have loads of fun before that snobby whore got here; you should've appreciated me while you had the chance. I will never be…intimate... with you again!"

 _Am I supposed to be threatened by that?_

"Thank Merlin for that! I've been trying to get rid of you for years, you were only ever adequate at best."

She reached over and slapped him hard across the cheek; tears were rolling down her face, leaving trails in her foundation. She turned and ran out of the Great Hall sobbing, with some of her friends in tow.

Blaise let out a low whistle. "Bit harsh, mate. Don't you think?"

"Absolutely not."

The students around the table fell silent and Draco allowed his mind to wander back to Arianwen, he wondered what she'd been doing in Wales and how she was coping with it all. He felt a slight twinge of what he assumed was guilt in his stomach, a feeling that was quite foreign to him. He sighed and stood, he would go to the Owlery and send her a letter apologising for everything.

"Not still sulking about your girlfriend finally noticing how much of a prat you are, are you Malfoy?" Draco's eyes snapped to the Gryffindor table where Harry Potter was grinning at him mockingly and his friends were laughing more loudly than usual.

He remembered seeing Arianwen walking with Harry in the light of dawn, his cloak draped over her barely covered body. The same explosion of jealousy ripped through him as it had that day and he glared menacingly at the Gryffindor's.

 _Fuck apologising._

* * *

 _Wednesday afternoon in Wales…_

Arianwen rapped the heavy brass door knocker against the thick iron-topped wooden door of Criccieth Castle. She waited patiently as she heard the scuffling of a house elf coming to let her in.

"Good morning, your ladyship. Please come in, Tadkey will inform his mistress that you have arrived." The elf bowed deeply before scuttling off to another room.

Arianwen waited in the hallway and smiled as she looked around, there was a gigantic painting at the end of the room, its frame stretching some twenty feet in the air and its oversized occupant staring down at her scrutinisingly. The plaque beneath it read: 'Prince Llewellyn the Great'.

"Who goes there?" The man in the painting boomed.

"Arianwen ap Dewi, your Highness; Marchioness of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire."

The man in the painting snorted. "Pembrokeshire _and_ Carmarthenshire you say? Well, much has changed since my day." He shook his head distractedly. "And where is your father, Lady Arianwen? It is not good form for a young lady to go out unchaperoned."

She smiled politely at him. _Good old sexist paintings._ "No indeed not, your Highness. I'm afraid that the Duke has passed away, so I am forced to venture out alone."

"Ah." He nodded understandingly. "And who is the current presiding Duchy of your counties?"

"There is none currently, it could be myself of course - when I come of age in a few months, but there is another whom the title could pass to."

"Another! Whom?"

"My Uncle, Lord Dafydd Gwydion."

The man nodded again, scratching his beard subconsciously as he seemed to be trying to remember something.

"Dafydd Gwydion you say…" Something seemed to click as he jerked his index finger in the air. "Ah yes, your uncle has passed through these halls on numerous occasions, I recall him now."

Arianwen's eyes narrowed but she forced her tone to remain nonchalant. "Oh really? He's visited recently?"

The man nodded, waving his hand flippantly. "Oh yes, just the other week, in fact!"

 _Is that so… Aneirin hasn't mentioned anything._

The man looked down at Arianwen thoughtfully. "You know, my girl, in my day if you wanted something you just had to go out and take it for your own. Probably my finest example of that was when I forced King Henry to change the law so my only legitimate son David would inherit my fortune. And look where we are now! Not only did I save my wealth that day but the prosperity of the entire realm."

"With respect to your Highness, it was your alteration to that law that has landed me in this predicament today. Had you left it the way it was, there would be no question of my right to inherit the Duchy."

The man blinked a few times, seemingly shocked at her words; more confusing still, was the polite smile on the young woman's face, she was clearly well-versed in diplomacy. He couldn't suppress a chuckle, nor the twinkle from his eyes as he spoke again. "You'll go far, Lady Arianwen."

Arianwen heard a small cough come from somewhere around her feet and looked down to discover Tadkey the house elf trying to usher her through to another room. She looked back at the man in the painting and curtsied politely. "Good day, your Highness."

She followed the elf through to a sitting room and curtsied to the woman that would have been her aunt, had she not left Dafydd for Aneirin's father.

"Lady Arianwen." The elder woman greeted, she gestured for Arianwen to sit and she did so. "I must say I was somewhat surprised when Tadkey informed me that you were waiting in our hallway, I do not seem to recall extending an invitation to you."

Arianwen was a little taken aback, she hadn't expected the Duchess to be so unhappy to see her, after all if things had worked out differently they would be family.

 _Unless she just hates the sight of any Gwydion after she left Uncle. Though that doesn't fit with what Prince Llewellyn said about him visiting. Weird._

She bowed her head humbly. "My apologies, your Grace, I did not intend to intrude, I merely wished to speak with Lord Aneirin. Is he home?"

This seemed to irritate the Duchess even further; she pressed her lips together and spoke through gritted teeth. "He has gone for a walk around the grounds, he left over half an hour ago though so you're unlikely to catch up with him."

Arianwen's smile grew; she'd dealt with her fair share of bitchy women over the years and had always gained some juvenile enjoyment from denying them their wishes. In this case, the Duchess wished for Arianwen to leave, so she was going to do the opposite.

"That's quite alright, I'm sure I can find him."

The Duchess' looked at her icily. "I wouldn't be so sure, Lady Arianwen, our grounds are vast and the terrain is much rougher than in the south; Aneirin is used to navigating it and will have covered much ground by now. It would be wiser to make other arrangements if you wish to see him."

"How kind of you to share a nugget of your wisdom with me, your Grace, I am truly humbled. That said, I do enjoy a good walk and haven't explored North Wales in a good while." She smiled brightly as the other woman glowered and stood up, making her way towards the door.

"If I do get lost though," she said, turning with one foot out of the door. "I'll be sure to let my rescuer know that you warned me off it, I wouldn't want people to think that you wanted me gone, after all. Good afternoon, Your Grace."

With that, she exited the room, leaving Aneirin's huffing mother behind her.

* * *

After hours of trudging through the countryside, Arianwen was just about ready to give up; the bottom of her robes was thick with mud and it was starting to get dark. She stopped at the top of a hill and walked to the very edge, looking down at the Castle which now appeared like a toy model in the distance. With a great gust, the wind changed direction and Arianwen was able to hear two male voices behind her. She walked towards the source of the noise and paused behind an overhanging bush so that she would be obstructed from view.

The talking stopped and Arianwen felt the pace of her heart beat increase. _Is someone following me?_

Deciding that she couldn't just hide behind that bush forever, she walked out into the open and gasped. There, pressed up against a tree was Aneirin and… _it can't be._

"Who are you?" Arianwen blurted out. The two men jumped apart and stared around wildly, Aneirin reddened when he saw her and he held his hands out to her desperately.

"No no no no." He muttered. "No, Arianwen! What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She said slowly, eying the person that Aneirin had been kissing.

"I-uh-well-we-uh-please don't tell anyone! This is Huw, he's my boyfriend."

Huw didn't smile, he could see the tension between Aneirin and Arianwen, and he didn't like how she was staring at him.

"No." Arianwen said, offering Aneirin a reassuring smile. "No, of course I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. I just wish you'd told me! What did you expect? That I would ostracise you for being gay?"

Aneirin winced at her words but managed to relax a little, his shoulders slumping. "It was a risk I wasn't willing to take."

She smiled sadly at him and closed the space between them, pulling him into a warm embrace. "Oh Nei, you are silly. I'm just happy that you've found someone." She glanced over his shoulder at Huw, who had his hands sunken into his pockets and was watching them awkwardly.

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" Arianwen whispered to her friend.

He smiled at her and introduced them; Arianwen gave Huw a warm smile and they talked for a while before he excused himself and went home.

"So," Aneirin started, looking much happier than he had before, "why have you come all the way out here to see me? Not just for a quick hello, I assume?"

Arianwen smiled guiltily. "Uh-no. I was looking over that parchment you gave me a few weeks ago, you know, the one with the list of councilors that will vote in the election." He nodded and she continued. "Well I think that I need to speak with Flintshire, I've arranged to go on tour around mid Wales and South Wales is obviously not an issue but I'm worried that if I don't get Flintshire on side, he and my Uncle will try and sway others to their cause."

Aneirin frowned. "I certainly agree that it would be wise to speak with Flintshire but I've already tried, he's refusing to see you!"

"I know but I was thinking that if we go together and just show up at his door, he can't refuse us, it would be too impolite."

Aneirin gave her a wry smile but agreed. "Shall we go now then? No time like the present, eh?"

She grinned and took his outstretched arm enthusiastically. "Lets do it."

* * *

Aneirin apparated them to the border of Plas Teg, the stately home of the Earl of Flintshire and his family. They walked down the long path to the front door and Arianwen was reminded of Malfoy Manor; Plas Teg loomed above the land like the Manor did and offered a similar symmetry in the architecture.

Arianwen let Aneirin explain the purpose of their visit to the house elf, who looked most concerned to pass the news on to his master, and they entered the Earl's study where they found him engrossed in a game of wizards chess.

The Earl bowed to them reluctantly and fixed Arianwen with an irritable stare.

"What have you come here for?" He demanded gruffly.

Arianwen raised an eyebrow at him coolly. "I'm sure you are aware of the purpose of our visit, my Lord. Aneirin has written to you plenty of times and I'm sure you'll have been informed of the date of the upcoming Warden elections, so lets cut to the chase shall we?"

He nodded curtly. "Go on then."

"I want to know why you won't support me to become Warden of the South, I assume that you may have chosen to back my Uncle and I came to inform you of the stupidity of such an action."

He curled his lip at her in a sneer. "You want to inform me of _my_ stupidity? You'll forgive me if I confess that I don't hold your opinion in any high regard. I would advise you to turn around and go back to the south, you're wasting your time."

Her polite smile faded, causing him to sit back in his chair smugly. "Be that as it may, I would still like to know why you have suddenly decided that I am not worthy of the position. My Uncle has hardly demonstrated any will to consider the wellbeing of our people; he would have us hand our power over to the English, to the 'Dark Lord' - as they call him. They say he wishes to dominate wizarding Britain, do you really want to be dominated by an Englishman?"

"Don't pretend to understand politics, Lady Arianwen."

Aneirin opened his mouth to protest for her but Arianwen was quicker.

"I need not _pretend_ , I understand perfectly." She was struggling to keep her temper in check now. _Remember what Governess Matthews taught you: remain calm, do not allow your emotions to cloud your judgement, do not allow others to use them against you._

"Tell me, my Lord, why is it that you refuse to elect Lady Arianwen, you had no issue with electing her father when he was in the role?" Aneirin asked calmly.

"Dewi Gwydion was a snake." Flintshire spat. "All he ever did was make false promises to get into that role, then when I actually needed him, he turned a blind eye."

Arianwen's brow furrowed as she tried to think of what he could be referring to, Aneirin seemed to be equally as confused, so he gestured for the Earl to continue.

"Your precious father refused to send aid to my county when my farmers' crops were plagued with Phytophthora, even though he was the only person with the capital to do so. My people suffered for years because of that man, the famine almost devastated us - that is until Lord Gwydion stepped in and used his contacts to get us enough of the antidote to revive the crops."

"Oh." Arianwen said, feeling a little surprised that his complaint was something quite reasonable. "I would not have turned my back on you, my Lord, I implore that you believe me! As Warden, I would do everything in my power to help any one of my subjects that needed it."

"Everything in your power?" He jeered. "What power? Women have no power, you exist purely to answer to the whims of your husbands. I would not have accepted help from you even if you were in the position to offer it, to do so would imply that you are more than just a cunt to play with."

Arianwen gasped and Aneirin jumped to his feet, his wand raised and pointing at the Earl.

"How dare you speak to Lady Arianwen like that? She holds a higher rank than you, Flintshire, you must treat her with respect. Apologise this instant!"

Arianwen stood also and placed a hand over Aneirin's wand arm. "Leave it, Nei. I don't need the support or respect of a man like him." She moved her gaze back to the Earl, her expression more menacing than it had ever been. "We will take our leave, Flintshire, but I assure you that your decision to act as you did tonight will not be forgotten. Mark my words, you will regret holding me in such contempt."

 _And anyone else that shares his opinion will suffer at my hand also._

* * *

 **A/N: Please review! I love to hear your opinions and if anything, it encourages me to update faster.**


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Torn

**A/N:** Thank you to Aurora, ForeverTeamEdward13 (your reviews are so speedy, I love it!) and MissBlack2 for your reviews. Quick question for Aurora: which part of the chapter/story do you think is monotonous? I will try my best to get things going for you - thank you for your criticism! There will be a reveal in the next chapter, and another very big one in the chapter after that - we're getting there :)

* * *

 **Chapter Nineteen: Torn**

Draco stabbed his trowel into some dragon's dung and carefully composited into the plant pot of the Venomous Tentacula that he was repotting in Herbology. The plants were oddly still as the class had each stunned their plants but occasionally someone would curse loudly as their spell wore off and a tentacle made a grab at them. The Slytherin's were all working in silence, as was often the case if Draco, Arianwen and Pansy were all in a class together.

Draco and Arianwen had been firmly ignoring each other since she arrived back in school from her suspension and even now, four weeks later, they still wouldn't speak. He was getting tired of it really, he had no desire to be with anyone other than her but she had been so infuriating that he didn't want to admit defeat.

He'd spent quite a considerable amount of time pondering their situation and in all honesty, he wasn't sorry for what he'd said to Potter, he just wished he'd expressed the sentiment a little more eloquently in front of Arianwen. In his mind, she didn't really count as an orphan; she was raised in the wizarding world for her whole life and she had only just recently been orphaned, a few more months and she'd be of age. Potter, on the other hand, had been raised by muggles, befriended a mudblood and a blood traitor and didn't respect the hierarchy of blood status; Arianwen understood perfectly.

Seeing her and Gwyn so close in the Daily Prophet had angered him though, and then every time he would think of that he would remember Arianwen in her petticoat with Potter's robes around her.

 _Thieving bastard._

He jammed his trowel into the plant pot so hard that he flung it off the workbench and it shattered on the floor, the Tentacula's vines twitching slowly as his stunning spell began wearing off.

He couldn't help but curl his lip at the sight of it. "Fucking disgusting." He muttered and bent down to clear up the mess.

Surprisingly, Arianwen bent down to help him and when he'd repaired the plant pot and reached out to pick up the Tentacula by one of its tentacles she placed her hand over his.

"Careful." She said softly, not looking him in the eye. "You're not wearing your gloves."

"Uh, yes, right." He said uncertainly, trying to quash the rush of anticipation that had surged through him with her touch.

He pulled his dragon-hide gloves on and roughly shoved the plant back in its pot and recast his stunning charm for safe measure. She returned to her work on the other side of the bench, her head bowed so he couldn't see her expression.

Pansy, who had been conflicted between ignoring Draco since their fight in the Great Hall and wanting him to notice her, watched as he stared longingly at Arianwen. It wasn't the first time she'd caught him looking at her but it never failed to rile her up. For the past four weeks, the two girls had been engaged in some kind of silent warfare; they rarely spoke, instead choosing to sabotage each other when the one was preoccupied.

Today, it seemed, it was Pansy's turn on the offense. While Arianwen was severing a few overgrown tentacles on her plant, Pansy charmed some dung to levitate in the air and slowly moved it towards Arianwen, presumably intending to drop it over her head or fling it in her face. However, just as it was inches from her, Arianwen quickly swiped her wand from her pocket and transfigured the dung into tiny dragons. They were just two or three inches in length and certainly couldn't do any damage, but as soon as Arianwen sent them flying back towards Pansy, her eyes bulged and she screeched in horror.

Naturally, the entire class along with Professor Sprout turned to the source of the noise and unanimously wore expressions of bewilderment, for as soon as the dragon's had appeared, they were gone again. Arianwen also wore an expression of rather convincing confusion, but Draco didn't miss the glint of satisfaction in her eyes.

"What in Merlin's name is going on over here?" Professor Sprout rushed over to the end of the workbench that the Slytherin's were working at and stared at Pansy worriedly, as if concerned for her mental health.

"Her!" Pansy squawked, pointing a shaking finger at Arianwen. "She set dragon's on me!"

Arianwen rolled her eyes. "Are you feeling quite well, Parkinson? I didn't see any dragons."

Professor Sprout looked between them, trying to decide who was telling the truth. She narrowed her eyes and shook her head a few times before setting her eyes upon Draco.

"Malfoy," she barked, "did Gwydion transfigure some dragons to attack Miss Parkinson?"

Draco furrowed his brow in mock confusion. "Certainly not, Professor, I think we would all have noticed if there were suddenly a bunch of dragons flapping about in here. Pansy must be seeing things, perhaps she's caught that cold that's going round."

"Mmm." Professor Sprout grumbled. "Right, Parkinson, off to the Hospital Wing please, get Madam Pomfrey to give you something for that cold of yours."

Pansy looked outraged. "What? But Professor - that's not - you can't - they're lying!"

"That's quite enough of that, young lady." Professor Sprout said sternly. "Now off to the Hospital Wing with you, or I'll start deducting points from Slytherin."

"Ucgh!" Was all Pansy managed, before she gathered her things and marched from the greenhouse indignantly.

When everyone had returned to their work, Draco chanced another glance at Arianwen and saw the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

After the class, he managed to catch up with her as she was making her way back to the castle and fell into step beside her; the tension was palpable.

"Hi."

"Hello." She said back quietly, her gaze firmly fixed in front of her.

"Can we talk?"

She paused for a while, seemingly mulling over his question. "If we must." She said finally.

Draco sighed and grabbed her arm, he pulled her to a stop and swirled her around to face him.

"Look," he started, running his hand through his hair nervously, "I think our silence has gone on for quite long enough, don't you?"

She shrugged, her expression unchanged from its usual neutrality.

"I didn't mean to upset you when I said that stuff to Potter, I don't think of you in the same way, obviously, and I just wanted to piss him off."

She examined him for a few moments, her arms folded over her chest guardedly. "Okay."

He blinked. _Okay? That's it?_

Feeling his nerves intensify, he tried again. "Arianwen, I-uh" Her gaze was so cold it was off-putting. "I-well-I just wanted to say that I-um…" _I miss you._

"What?" She asked impatiently.

He ran his hand through his hair again, he felt like he was shrinking beneath her gaze. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

"I think that I might be-um…that I might be…" _In love with you._

She sighed loudly. "Just spit it out, Draco, or I'm going inside."

"Argh!" He growled at himself in frustration. "Can we just go back to how things were, you know, before all of this stupid stuff with Pansy and Potter?"

"Tell me why I should forgive you?"

After a few moments thought he said, "I can't."

Her eyes narrowed angrily. "Then leave."

"I can't do that either."

He saw some emotion flash through her eyes, _regret maybe?_

"Gwyn kissed me." She blurted out.

"What?" He said so quietly it could have been a whisper. "What did you say?"

Her cool persona was cracking under the intensity of his stare; she bit her lip nervously. "Gwyn kissed me." She repeated.

It felt as though someone had just dropped a tonne of bricks on his chest. He turned away, not wanting her to see the hurt that he was unable to hide from his face.

"Fuck you." He snarled, then half walked-half ran back to the castle and up to the seventh floor, where he shut himself into the room of requirement.

* * *

"Blaise!" Arianwen stood at the end of the sofa where Blaise was lounging and flipping through the pages of 'Quidditch Today'.

His eyes dragged across the page a few times more before he eventually looked up, annoyed that she'd disturbed him. When he saw the look on her face however, his annoyance dissipated.

"What's wrong?" He asked, sitting up on the sofa so she could join him. There was no one else in their vicinity as they'd all gone to dinner so Arianwen sat down and started explaining what had happened with Draco.

"-and, oh god, you should've seen the look on his face, Blaise. He just stormed off before I could tell him that nothing actually happened and that I pulled away from Gwyn as soon as he tried to kiss me!"

Blaise gave her a hard, disapproving look. "It sounds to me like you had plenty of time to tell him, Ri."

She said nothing, simply stared at him with her mouth forming the silent shapes of words she couldn't enunciate.

"So why didn't you tell him?"

She bit her lip as she always did when she was nervous. "I don't know."

Blaise raised his eyebrows at her and leant back in the chair, his arms stretched behind his head and his lips set in a frown. "Yes you do. You wanted to hurt him. You wanted him to feel how powerful your words could be, just as his words to Potter stung you. Only difference is that he was trying to apologise to you whereas you just got caught in the crossfire of his feud with a long-running rival."

Arianwen sighed. "Maybe you're right, I did want to hurt him…but now that I have I wish I could take it back."

"Mmm. Yes, you've been acting without forethought a lot recently, haven't you?"

Her face darkened. "Don't start lecturing me on Pansy bloody Parkinson."

"Well someone has to! Draco tried to but look where that got him, and everyone else is too busy trying to stop you from freaking out to tell you the truth!"

"Everyone else?" Arianwen asked heatedly. "Like who?"

"Everyone." Blaise repeated, knowing that she would understand this to mean her friends from home, the few people whose opinions she really cared about.

She folded her arms crossly but didn't pursue it further, she knew Blaise kept in contact with Brianne especially. "Well Draco wasn't trying to help me, he just wanted me to keep away from his precious Pansy."

"You don't believe that for a second, so stop trying to fool yourself." He knew her too well not to see through her. "You know how much he cares about you. I've known Draco for a long time and I've never seen him like this about anyone. He _was_ trying to help you because you've started to lose touch of yourself, darling."

Arianwen chuckled, the notion of her losing touch of herself was ridiculous, she'd always been a strong willed person and that hadn't changed.

Blaise sighed, he could tell that he wasn't getting through to her so got to his feet to go down to dinner. "I don't know what happened to the compassionate girl that was almost sorted into Hufflepuff because she would do anything to help people, but I'd like her back please."

He walked out and left her alone to dwell on his words.

 _I would still do anything to help people…wouldn't I?_

A nagging voice in her head chose that moment to remind her that she hadn't worked in the Hospital Wing for quite a while.

 _Blaise is right, I need to fix this._

* * *

When she arrived in the Hospital Wing later that evening, her feeling of guilt increased tenfold. Madam Pomfrey was scuttling in between seven different students, trying to treat them all at once. When she heard the door open and saw Arianwen standing there sheepishly she smiled broadly.

"Arianwen, dear! How are you? I've missed you these past few weeks, makes me wonder how I ever coped without your help!"

Arianwen blushed, feeling rather ashamed of herself. "Oh Poppy I'm so sorry, I've been so distracted but I never should have let that get in the way of my work here, you were so gracious to even let me help to begin with-"

Madam Pomfrey held up a hand to silence her. "That's quite alright, you're here now. No need to fret."

A loud groan from a boy lying a few beds down interrupted them and Arianwen rushed over to help.

"Hello, what's your name?" She asked, smiling kindly at the little Ravenclaw. He looked extremely wary of her and once again she felt that pang of guilt in her stomach.

 _He's scared of me, probably heard about what I did to Pansy. How many more people think I'm a lunatic, I wonder?_

"I'm Leon," he said quietly, looking as though he wished the ground would swallow him up.

"And what seems to be the problem Leon, darling?" She asked sweetly.

The use of the pet name seemed to work and the boy visibly relaxed and pointed to his legs which were bleeding from five deep claw marks.

"Oh dear, that looks nasty. Not to worry lovely, I'll get you fixed up in no time." She smiled at him encouragingly and he smiled back, his previous misgivings gone.

 _Well that wasn't hard._ She walked through to Madam Pomfrey's office to change into her apron and smiled to herself. _I've missed this._

* * *

Arianwen had been trying to corner Draco for a whole week so that she could apologise but to no avail, he was much better at avoiding things than she. She felt like she'd tried everything and was starting to reach the end of her tether. She was aware that his birthday was fast approaching and had been trying with greater urgency to contact him.

On the morning of his birthday, Arianwen awoke early and headed down to breakfast, determined to wait there for as long as it took for Draco to make an appearance. Her classmates came down in drips and drabs until finally, ten minutes before breakfast was due to end, Crabbe and Goyle walked in. Her heartbeat quickened as she craned her neck to see if Draco was behind them but he was not. The only consequential thing that came of breakfast was a letter from Leah, demanding money from her to help with the "rising cost of looking after _your_ family." She stuffed it in her pocket and out of her mind. _Today is about Draco._

He didn't attend any of their classes, he wasn't in the Hospital Wing, the common room, the Quidditch pitch or even the library. She waited for him at lunch…nothing. Then the same at dinner…still nothing. She even begged Crabbe and Goyle to tell her where he was and that it was imperative that she see him but she was only met with disdainful glares and a few choice words. Blaise didn't have a clue where he'd gone and none of the girls had even noticed he'd been missing.

She let out a growl of frustration as she descended the steps to her dorm that night and changed into her nightdress.

 _Doesn't anyone care? What if he's missing? What if something has happened?_

She pulled the present that she'd been carrying around all day for him out of her robes and tossed it onto her bed, collapsing down beside it in a huff. The other girls slowly filed into the room as well, each one ignored her as she glared at her bed hangings, and after a while she could hear the soft rhythm of their deep breathing.

Deciding that she wouldn't be able to sleep, she picked the present back up, wrapped a blanket over her shoulders and ascended the stairs back to the common room.

 _I will see him tonight if it kills me._

She settled down on the sofa nearest the fire and waited for him to come in. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes into hours as she waited, and before long the warmth of the fire was encouraging her eyelids to droop.

* * *

Draco walked slowly and quietly back to the common room, it was after three in the morning but he still took the long route back, wanting to delay his return. He'd avoided everyone on his birthday, he'd still received their cards and presents but hadn't opened them; instead, he spent the entire day trying to fix that blasted vanishing cabinet. It had been quite a good distraction really, and when he finally checked the time and realised that his birthday was over, he knew it was safe to go back.

He muttered the password and entered the common room, the fire had nearly died and the room was barely lit but he'd crossed it enough at night to manage not to trip over anything. He was almost at the boy's staircase when he heard something shuffle and then its slow breathing coming from a sofa behind him. Pointing his wand at the fireplace, he muttered, "incendio", causing the fire to reignite and the room to illuminate subsequently.

"Arianwen." He whispered, moving closer to examine her. She was fast asleep, a blanket loosely wrapped around her shoulders and a present addressed to him lay on the floor.

She looked beautiful, and he took a moment to appreciate how peaceful she was; a few bits of hair had fallen into her face and would flutter slightly every time she released a breath. Without thinking about what he was doing, he reached forward, brushed the hair behind her ear and bent down to kiss her forehead gently.

"Draco." He jumped back and stared at her, wondering whether to leg it to his dormitory but when he realised that she was still asleep, he slowly approached again and sat on the floor beside her.

Unable to resist the temptation to open his present, he carefully pulled the ribbon off and prised the paper apart. It was a book - but not just any book. She'd bought him his favourite childhood tale, 'Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?' He'd told her about it months ago when she'd asked him to tell her more about his father.

 _How the hell did she remember that?_

It was the only book that Lucius Malfoy had ever read to his son and Draco had cherished it dearly. When he'd grown older, Lucius had insisted that Narcissa throw away his old toys and books and instead equip him with things that would "shape him into a man". He knew that his father probably didn't appreciate the sentimental value of it, but Draco always had and he'd expected Arianwen to ridicule him for it when he told her. She hadn't. That was one of the signs that allowed him to see how special she was.

He flipped the cover open and found a hand written note from one of the authors, it read: 'For you to read to your son one day – Martin Waddell'

Underneath it was the bold text, 'First Edition'. He smiled and read the book through, his mind reciting it in his father's voice.

Looking back at Arianwen, he felt his heart sinking. He couldn't get over the fact that she'd cheated on him and been so cold when she told him about it, as if she was proud or something. Yet there she was, lying on the sofa in the common room, clearly hoping to catch him before he went to bed so she could give him the most thoughtful gift he'd probably ever received in his life. Arianwen Gwydion was the biggest mind fuck he'd ever known.

 _And I know Lord Voldemort._

After a battle in his mind about whether to forgive her, he decided that he needed more time and that he shouldn't wake her. He scooped her up carefully in his arms and waited for her to settle into his chest before carrying her down to the girl's dorm and placing her on her bed. He pulled the duvet cover over her and gave her one last kiss on the forehead before exiting, thanking Salazar for not charming the girl's stairs to turn into a slide as the other Founders had.

* * *

 **A/N:** So I'm thinking I deserve some reviews for updating so quickly, right? You know you want to...


	20. Chapter Twenty: Non Compos Mentis

**A/N: Warning! There is some sexual content in this chapter, might be best to avoid it if you think it'll offend you.**

Thanks so much to ForeverTeamEdward13 (glad you enjoyed the fluff!), StarletSpotlight, kittikat98, and Jessie for taking the time to review - I love you all!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty: Non Compos Mentis**

Draco had barely looked at Arianwen in days. They'd attended all the same classes and he'd been at most of their meals but he was either flanked by Crabbe and Goyle or he would rush off before she got the chance to speak with him. She knew it must have been him who had taken her back to her bed on the night that she'd tried to wait up for him, but it frustrated her that he hadn't woken her up. Now it seemed like he was doing all he could to avoid her.

He had at least thanked her for his birthday present but before she'd had a chance to respond, Professor Snape had dragged him away and he'd gone back to dodging her attempts to speak to him afterwards.

They were currently both at breakfast but Draco was sitting five or six spaces down the table from her. She glanced over to him, he was reading the Daily Prophet intently and occasionally sipping his coffee but was otherwise unaware of her gaze.

 _Why didn't I just tell him that I didn't kiss Gwyn back? He probably hates me._

Her musings were interrupted by the morning post. Archimedes dropped the Welsh newspaper that she subscribed to on her napkin along with a few other letters. She flicked through them, checking if she recognised the handwriting addressing her; one was from Gwyn, though that was hardly surprising as he'd been writing to her frequently to apologise; another was from Mr. Powell, her lawyer; the third was from Aneirin; and the final one bore her Uncle's handwriting.

Her heart started thumping as she looked at the letter from her Uncle, it was in a large envelope and sealed with the same Gwydion House wax stamp that she used. Deciding to peak inside to gauge whether she'd rather read the letter in private, Arianwen broke the seal and pulled the contents out a fraction to get a look at it. It wasn't a letter at all, he'd actually sent her an old photograph of her father that had been taken when he was appointed Warden of the South. She shoved it back into the envelope roughly, knowing that there would be more to it than simply a kind gesture from her uncle to replace the photos she'd lost.

"What's that?" Blaise inquired quickly, noticing her sudden change in demeanor. She ignored him, instead gathering the other post, slinging her bag over her shoulder and striding out of the hall.

Her feet carried her up four flights of stairs before she found a deserted classroom, she shakily reopened the envelope and pulled out the photo.

Oddly there was nothing else inside the envelope; she'd at least expected some kind of goading note from Uncle Dafydd. She examined the photograph more closely, some kind of red stain was starting to form on it and alarmingly it looked a lot like blood.

As she watched in horror, the words "Mae gennych waed ar eich dwylo", formed over her father's picture. Then, even more horrifically, blood started dripping from the photo onto her hands. She screamed in terror and threw the picture to the ground.

Moments later, the classroom door was flung open and Draco burst in, panting; he must have followed her from the Great Hall. He ran over to Arianwen and grabbed her bloody wrists.

"Ri! What's happened? Are you hurt?"

She simply shook her head and pointed at the photo on the floor. He picked it up and furrowed his brow, unable to understand the writing.

"What does it mean?"

"It-it says I've got his blood on my hands." She whispered, turning away so he wouldn't see the tears glistening in her eyes.

Draco looked back to the photograph, the man looked familiar but he couldn't remember where he'd seen him before. He racked his brain for the answer and suddenly remembered the photo he'd seen in Madam Louisa's of Arianwen and her father dancing.

"Is this your father?"

She nodded and turned around to speak but was interrupted by Harry running into the room, looking alarmed.

"I heard screaming!" He said in between breaths. His eyes fell on Arianwen's hands, which were still covered in blood, and then over to Draco.

He whipped his wand from his robes and pointed it at Draco.

"What have you done to her?" He barked.

Draco pulled his wand out too. "I haven't done _anything_ Potter, not that it's any of your business."

The boys scowled at each other and Arianwen stepped forward. "It's alright Harry, Draco hasn't hurt me. I just cut my finger, that's all."

Harry scoffed at her irritably. "As if I believe that."

"I don't care if you believe it," Arianwen snapped, "come on Draco, let's go."

With an apparently tremendous struggle, Draco lowered his wand and followed Arianwen from the classroom.

When they were far enough from the classroom, Draco pulled Arianwen aside and cleared the blood from her hands.

"I've got to go and see him." Arianwen said, trying to move off.

"See who? Arianwen, what's going on?" He took hold of her arm to stop her from leaving.

"That…message…was from my Uncle. He's been trying to shift the blame for my father's death onto me but I _know_ it was him, I just know it!" Her eyes were wide with a dogged stare, giving her the appearance of a mental patient.

"Right…" Draco said gently, trying to coax the answer from her without setting her off. "But why do you need to see him?"

"Because I want to know what happened. I need to know, Draco, its been driving me absolutely insane!"

"Okay." He said, noting the urgency in her voice and beginning to worry that she would do something stupid. "But you can't just up and leave the castle, someone will see you!"

"Well then I'll go to Dumbledore and tell him I've got a family emergency or something." She wrenched her arm from his grasp and started down the corridor.

"Stop!" Draco ordered, following behind her and whirling her around to face him again. "You can't tell Dumbledore, he'll start asking questions. You've got to be careful, Ri, from what you've told me it sounds like your uncle is a dangerous man."

Arianwen laughed maniacally. "Oh please, I can handle him."

Draco growled in frustration but forced his voice to remain calm. "Even so, I think I should come with you."

Arianwen glared at him. "I don't need rescuing, I can look after myself."

Draco sighed, he'd heard this before. "Do you trust me?"

She paused, her glare unwavering. After a few moments of stubborn staring she yielded. "Do I have a choice?"

He pursed his lips slightly, irritated that she couldn't just trust him. "You always have a choice."

She paused again, trying to take in his expression; he was staring resolutely at her but she could see the concern in his eyes and ultimately, she liked that he cared. "Then yes, I trust you."

"Good. We'll go on Saturday then, while everyone is in Hogsmeade."

"No!" Arianwen cried desperately. "I want to go _now_."

"For Merlin's sake, Ri, you can't just run off there straight away! We need to be seen at Hogwarts!"

"Why does it matter?"

"Because if something happens…you'll need an alibi."

Arianwen gulped, she hadn't really imagined that anything bad might happen with her uncle but Draco did have a point, Dafydd certainly was dangerous.

"Okay then, we'll do it your way."

Draco nodded, giving her a small smile before motioning for her to walk with him. A few minutes passed before Draco spoke again, so quietly that an extra pair of footsteps would have drowned him out but Arianwen heard him perfectly.

"I still can't get over it, Ri."

She bit her lip, looking straight ahead. "Get over what?"

"That you cheated on me. I don't know if I can forgive you."

Arianwen glanced at him, his head was low and his shoulders slumped, he looked so forlorn that she just wanted to hug and kiss him, tell him that she would make it better and that he was the only man she could ever think about. She'd have to begin with the truth.

"I didn't cheat on you though, not really." She saw his head turn in her direction as they walked, but she just stared awkwardly at her feet. "I mean, Gwyn did try to kiss me but I pushed him off and told him that I wasn't interested and that I still wanted to be with you."

Draco's jaw clenched. "So you lied to me?" He asked evenly.

"I-well-I wouldn't say that I-"

"You let me believe that you'd kissed him. I thought that I drove you to him, Arianwen. I spent all this bloody time blaming myself when it was all just a lie!"

"I'm sorry, Draco. I wasn't thinking, I was just angry - I wanted to see how you'd react!"

"Oh good, you're _sorry_. Well I'd better just forget everything then, yeah?"

She gulped nervously and reached out her hand but as soon as she touched his shoulder, he flinched away.

"No, Ri, it's not as simple as that. I'll still come with you on the weekend because I don't want you going alone but I don't know about this relationship anymore."

Arianwen felt a lump forming in her throat, tears were threatening to fall from her eyelids but she managed to compose herself enough to speak.

"What are you saying? Do you want to break up with me?"

Their eyes met, grey on green, and they just stared at each other for a while, each looking equally distraught.

"I don't know, maybe. I need to think about it."

Arianwen stopped and allowed Draco to carry on walking ahead. She knew he wouldn't take the news well, Blaise had promised her that much, but hearing the pain in his voice – the pain she had caused – it was too much for her to handle.

* * *

Arianwen had difficulty getting to sleep that night, she'd been troubled by the message her uncle had sent her and desperately wanted to get answers but she knew she couldn't go against Draco's wish to go on the weekend.

When she finally managed to fall asleep, her dreams predictably followed her uncle's accusation.

 _She was in Pembroke Castle with her father and they were dancing around the ballroom happily until all of a sudden, she pulled her dagger from her garter and sank it deep into his chest._

 _He collapsed to the floor and she knelt down beside him, suddenly horrified by her own actions, she tried to place her hands over his wound to heal him but as she did, her body was catapulted backwards. She stopped suddenly in the courtyard of the castle and felt a strong grip enclose around her wrist, forcing her to spin around._

 _Standing before her was herself, only with those horrifying blue eyes she'd seen before; the same version of herself that plagued her dreams every time she was alone in Wales._

 _"_ _Who the hell are you?" She screamed but the girl only smiled disturbingly and pulled her towards the entrance to the Great Keep._

 _"_ _You can't get in there, no one can! Just leave me be, for Merlin's sake!"_

 _The girl's eyes flashed dangerously and Arianwen staggered backwards, fear overcoming her. The blue-eyed Arianwen pulled a long chain from her beneath her robe to reveal an old brass key, she pushed it into the keyhole of the door and turned it. With a distinctive collection of clicks, the door unlocked and the blue-eyed girl spoke for the first time._

 _"_ _Come Lady Arianwen, it is time for you to release me."_

 _Arianwen followed numbly, her feet carrying her up the steep spiral staircase until she reached a heavily bolted iron cast door. She stared at it, expecting it to open for her but nothing happened._

 _"_ _Hello?" She called._

 _The iron cover behind the barred window slid open abruptly and a pair of piercing blue eyes stared through it. However for the first time they looked scared, horrified, in fact and Arianwen knew that something awful must have happened in that tower._

 _And as suddenly as the prisoner's disposition had changed, Arianwen started to feel terror like she'd never experienced in her life. She screamed and leapt back, stumbling on the top step and falling helplessly down the staircase-_

Her body jerked her awake and she sat up in bed, covered in sweat and panting. Some of the terror that she felt in the dream was lingering within her; and she realised that all she wanted was to find Draco, he'd make her feel safe again.

She made her way into the common room and looked around but he wasn't there. She perched on the edge of a sofa and stared at the door to the boy's dormitories.

 _Should I just sneak in? If I'm careful the other boys won't hear me and then I can just climb in next to Draco._

Deciding that it was her only option, as she didn't want to fall asleep on the sofa again and have Draco carry her up to her room without waking her, she quietly descended the stairs. The boy's dorm was the very last but one, Blaise had told her so at the beginning of term. She turned the doorknob slowly and pushed the door ajar; a mixture of snores and heavy breathing greeted her so she proceeded further into the room and closed the door behind her.

The dorm was filthy, there were clothes strewn everywhere, apple cores and other random leftover food littered the floor, and there was a faint aroma of old socks. Arianwen started to dodge her way through the obstacle-course of a room and over to the pristine bed at the other side of the room, whose hangings were open and covers untouched.

 _I guess I'll just wait for him then._

She was almost there when someone's breath got caught in their throat and they coughed. She froze, it wouldn't look good if a woman of her status was caught sneaking around in a room of sleeping boys. She turned to the source of the coughing and saw Goyle roll over, his hangings open about a foot so she could see inside. His eyes were still closed and his snoring started up again a few seconds later but Arianwen was looking at something else. It appeared that Goyle didn't like pyjamas, or underwear for that matter…she could see everything.

She clapped a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle and hurried onto Draco's bed, closing his hangings behind her.

After snuggling under his covers, she rolled on her side and waited. Even being in his bed was soothing, she could smell his musky scent on his sheets and before long she drifted off.

* * *

Draco made his way through the common room and down the stairs to his dorm. He'd had one of his worst nights in the room of requirement, the vanishing cabinet just refused to show any signs of working and now, at 3am, he was frustrated and absolutely knackered. To top that off, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about Arianwen. She hadn't cheated on him and he knew he should be happy but he wasn't, he couldn't shake the painful feeling of worthlessness that he'd had since she'd told him about Gwyn. He knew he wanted to be with her, he knew that he loved her; he knew that he may never feel this way about another person ever again, but he just didn't know where to start.

He worked his way through the room and curled his lip in disgust at Goyle, who'd left his hangings open to reveal his uncovered body. He flicked his wand at the curtains and they sealed around Goyle's bed.

He pulled off his clothes so that he was only left in his boxers and pulled his hangings open, ready to collapse on his bed.

"Arianwen?" He whispered to himself, his heart jolting at the sight of her. He noticed that his palms had begun to sweat and shook his head in disbelief.

 _How does she always have this effect on me?_

Kneeling carefully on the bed, he shook her gently until her eyes opened; she blinked a few times before she properly understood who had awoken her.

"Draco!" She whispered, blushing and sitting up in bed.

"What are you doing in here?" He wasn't annoyed, just surprised.

"I-um-I had to see you." One of the boys rolled over in bed, startling the pair; Draco pulled the hangings shut and cast a silencing charm on them, then illuminated his wand so they could see each other more clearly. She was dressed in a simple cotton nightgown and had her hair draped over one shoulder in a long plait, but even like that he couldn't help but find her completely captivating.

"Please don't make me leave." She said softly with the innocent expression she used to give him, he'd missed this side of her so much that he impulsively reached out and pulled her into his arms.

"I wasn't planning to." He said, smiling despite himself.

She tilted her face towards him and smiled back, her hand moving to caress his cheek.

"I'm so sorry." She said, gazing at him earnestly.

"Me too."

Their faces moved closer instinctively, Arianwen's eyes fluttered closed and just as their lips were about to touch, Draco couldn't stop himself from voicing a thought that had been plaguing him for weeks.

"Arianwen?"

"Mmm?" She mumbled, eyes still closed.

"I love you." He brought his lips down on hers finally and kissed her with such emotion that Arianwen could think of nothing else, simply moving her lips in rhythm with his.

When they eventually pulled away, they stared at each other passionately, desperately trying to comprehend the emotion in the other's eyes. Arianwen lay back on the pillows and Draco followed suit, she traced an invisible line down the side of his face and along his jawline, watching as he smiled contentedly with his eyes closed.

"I love you too."

His eyes snapped back open and he felt a ridiculous, giddy smile overpower his normally controlled expression; his whole body erupted with oddly pleasant pins and needles as he replayed the words in his head. He couldn't believe she'd said it but when he looked down at her, he could tell that she meant it.

He wasted no time in expressing his love with his mouth, kissing and sucking at her skin fervently. He pulled at her nightgown with his teeth until her breasts were exposed and started massaging them with his hands while he caressed one of her nipples with his tongue. She let out a delighted moan and tugged at her nightgown, becoming agitated when she couldn't pull it off quickly enough. Draco sat up, straddling her with his legs, he ripped the dress open and swore at the sight of her naked form.

He felt the familiar thrilling throb in his penis and hastened to remove his boxer shorts, but something about this was different than the other girl's he'd had sex with. He was absolutely consumed by Arianwen, his desire to taste every inch of her skin and reach a new peak of euphoria with her was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. She empowered him.

She made him forget all the loneliness and worthlessness that he'd been feeling for so long, replacing it with a sensation of impalpable confidence. The way she was looking at him, moving her body lustfully at his touch, the delicacy of her voice when she called his name lasciviously; she made him feel like the most loved man in the world, and he was going to thank her for it.

He smirked at her gasp when his fingers found their way between her legs, testing if she was ready for him. He manipulated a whimper from her quivering lips as his touch gained intensity.

She slunk her hands around his neck and pulled him down so that his face was centimetres from hers, she brushed her lips against his but when he tried to deepen the kiss she locked her teeth around his lower lip and bit down, he groaned so loudly that he wondered if his silencing charm would hold.

"I want you Draco." Arianwen whispered seductively.

He wasted no time in giving her her wish. He was so hard that he worried that he might hurt her but when he entered her, her mouth fell open and she gave a soft moan of satisfaction.

He put all the passion and longing that he'd felt for her ever since he met her into his movements and both of them cried out periodically with happiness. Their bodies were so full of adrenaline that they managed to make love to each other for hours. By the time Draco was finally willing to allow himself to come, he'd pushed Arianwen over the edge twice and she was unable to articulate anything other than his name. Her hands massaged his inner thighs as he succumbed to her, the euphoric pulsating in his penis causing her to come for a final time.

When they eventually parted, neither could speak for their breathing was too uneven and their minds and bodies were exhausted from the exhilarating romance of it all.

Draco pushed the hair that had stuck to the side of Arianwen's face behind her ear and nibbled the lobe with his teeth. "Maybe we should fight more often."

Arianwen giggled and rolled over so she was underneath him. "No, I never want to be apart from you for so long ever again."

He smiled and planted a kiss on the tip of her nose. "Then we won't allow it."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise."

He lay down next to her and pulled her body close to his, the rhythm of their hearts beating as one; and there they lay until sleep came blissfully upon them.

* * *

 **A/N:** You'll finally get to meet Dafydd in the next chapter and Arianwen will learn about the circumstances surrounding the death of her father. What do you think happened?


	21. Chapter Twenty-One: Awakening

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Quick word to the anonymous reviewer who said they don't want Arianwen with "that dirty dog Draco", just a reminder that this is labelled as a Draco/OC fic so they most definitely will be together...awks. Also I don't think Arianwen was being bullied in chapter 14, sure the other girls were being nasty but Arianwen can look after herself and it would be a bit boring if everyone got on perfectly all the time, no? Just a thought. Anyway, if you think it was embarrassing then maybe this story isn't for you but I would be grateful if you'd give it a chance :)

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-One: Awakening**

Arianwen smiled as she entered the common room on Saturday morning, Draco was waiting for her in his favourite armchair by the fire and grinned at her as she approached. Much to the childish delight of some neighbouring first years, Draco reached out and pulled her into his lap, kissing her lightly on the lips.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?"

Arianwen shrugged, eying the younger students suspiciously. "It was alright, as it good as it could be with, you know…"

Draco nodded. Her apprehension was understandable; they were going to Wales today, so she could finally get some closure regarding the events around her father's death.

"Morning!" Blaise called as he emerged from behind the tapestry with the rest of the sixth years. "How come I didn't see you at breakfast, Ri?"

"I'm just not very hungry at the minute, love."

Blaise cast his eyes over the two of them cwtched on the armchair and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Hungry for something else, is it?"

Draco let out a loud bark of laughter as Arianwen flushed and attempted to swat Blaise.

"You're disgusting," she said, crossing her arms and scowling at him.

"I know, darling. Anyway, are you two ready for Hogsmeade, we're gonna head down in a mo', just need to grab my cloak."

Draco snaked his arms around Arianwen's middle, pulling her closer to him. "Nah, we're not gonna bother today, think we're just going to stay here and catch up."

Blaise grinned, winking exaggeratedly at his friend. "Catching up on lost time, eh? Fair enough, we'll leave you to it then!"

He dashed off to get his cloak and scarf from his dorm and then exited the common room with the other sixth years, shouting as he went, "later! Make sure you're out of our room by the time we get back, I don't fancy a biology lesson today!"

Arianwen groaned. "He's such an idiot."

* * *

They went down to Draco's dorm and waited for an hour before heading out to Hogsmeade themselves. Draco had cast the difficult disillusionment charm on them so were they camouflaged against their surroundings, but they still had to be cautious.

"So, how did you manage to arrange a portkey?" Arianwen whispered to Draco, as they made their way past The Three Broomsticks pub and further into the village.

"Well, we're working on infiltrating the Ministry at the moment so I pulled a few strings, I've got a few more inside contacts now that the Dark Lord has turned his attention to it."

They arrived on a secluded path leading up a small hill from which the Shrieking Shack could be seen.

"There it is." Draco said, guiding Arianwen over to a scarf that was tied to a fence post. He tapped her on the head with his wand and she became fully visible again.

"Are you ready for this?" She could now see Draco too, and didn't miss the worry on his face.

She gave him a determined smile and linked her arm in his. "Yes, absolutely."

"Alright," he said, planting a quick kiss on her forehead. "This will take us to somewhere in the middle of the woods by your house, so you'll have to lead us to your uncle from there." She nodded in understanding. "Well then, on the count of three; one, two, three!"

They both put their free hands on the scarf and felt the disturbing sensation of being dragged backwards by a hook behind their navel.

* * *

They span through the air, tightly gripping to the scarf, until the portkey pulled them to a thudding halt in the centre of an enormous room. It was lavishly decorated in gold, marble and mother of pearl; the walls were covered in a stunning renaissance painting, depicting the 'Battle of Independence' between the Welsh and English. The Welsh wizards all wore golden cloaks and carried gem-encrusted swords along with their wands; they were accompanied by Welsh giants, druids, and some rather vicious-looking fairies. On the ceiling were hoards of dragons, some gold and others green in colour, and all were breathing fire in the direction of the English army who were on the wall at the far end of the chamber, defending themselves against the united Welsh forces.

"I thought you said we would land in the woods?" Arianwen hissed to Draco, who looked equally as confused as she.

"I'm afraid you have me to thank for that," a low voice said, echoing across the hall. From the shadows a tall, imposing man emerged.

"Uncle Dafydd!" Arianwen greeted calmly, trying to pretend that she hadn't just jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. She felt Draco step closer to her.

"I'm glad to see you received my message, dear niece." Dafydd's smile appeared perfectly genuine, except his eyes glittered with malice. "And you brought a guest! It's so good to finally meet you, young Master Malfoy."

"Lord Gwydion," Draco said, inclining his head a fraction.

"Dearest niece," Dafydd said, again, the repetition sinister in and of itself, "you should have told me we were going to have company; I would have arranged for tea to be brought up."

"It's no trouble," Draco started, but Dafydd interrupted him.

"Nonsense," he said, his smile leeching sincerity. "There's no reason we can't be civilised."

He snapped his fingers, and a teapot and three china cups appeared on a tray at his side.

"Sit," he said, his voice a command, and they found themselves dropping backwards onto the settee behind them. "Drink," he said, and the tea poured itself and floated towards them. Trying not to glance at Arianwen and give away his unease, Draco accepted his cup, and carefully pretended to drink. He had had enough experience with tainted liquids to not drink anything he didn't trust.

"So." Dafydd lounged back in the ornate armchair he had chosen for himself. "Why don't you tell me what you're here for, Arianwen."

"I'm here for answers," Arianwen said, her voice tight with carefully controlled emotion.

"Answers?" Dafydd said, raising one eyebrow as if in surprise. "That's funny, I thought you came here to watch your father die."

Dafydd laughed as her eyes widened in shock. "Oh Arianwen, not as unpredictable as you think, are you? Come, I've prepared a little presentation for you."

Dafydd flicked his wand, and the shadows convalesced, thickening and swirling in the centre of the room; the furniture in front of them disappeared as the shadows formed a solid mass of darkness, seething and twisting into itself like a roiling mass of midnight black eels. As the spell took shape, so did the shadows, small slits of light blooming out of it as the darkness separated and compressed to form figures, moving around another room, in another time.

Draco recognised the spell; the Wizengamot used it in trials to display memory evidence without the use of the Pensieve, and the dread pooling in his stomach was like a physical thing, gripping at his lungs and slipping ice claws into his spine.

The figures were taking on more shape, now, the colours of them bleeding slightly as they moved.

"I've made up my mind, Dafydd," Dewi was saying, his lips moving separately to the words that washed out of the memory, the spell translating the Welsh to English. "I'm meeting with the Council tomorrow to put forward my petition: Arianwen _will_ be my heir."

"There is no way they will accept it," Dafydd said, his voice barely above a hiss, his face ashen with rage. "The law has been in place for centuries, you cannot change tradition on a whim because you couldn't fuck a son into your damned wife."

Dewi whirled on his brother, his arm twisting as though to hit him, but he held his temper. "You are not fit to hold office," he said, his voice laden with derision, eyes cool as he met Dafydd's furious gaze. "I will not allow the Wardenship to fall into such," he paused, " _unworthy_ hands."

Dafydd's face twisted, his lips drawing back to bare his teeth, the muscles in his neck bulging as he clenched his jaw. In a movement so fast it was a dark smudge in the soft edges of the memory, the sleeves of his robes blurring and the tip of his wand a long, sweeping semi circle as he thrust it at his brother. Dewi fell back, landing hard on the stone floor, his face shocked and pained as he tried to move against the Immobilus Charm that Dafydd has cast.

"How _dare_ you," Dafydd spat, his hand visibly shaking as he stepped quickly towards Dewi's prone form, "call _me_ unworthy." He stopped just out of Dewi's reach, staring down at him. "You have always thought yourself so much better than me, brother," he said; "allow me to show you that we are all the same, underneath."

 _Oh, Merlin,_ Draco thought, seeing the first thin line of blood appear on Dewi's face. "Don't look," he said, urgently, to Arianwen. "Don't look."

Arianwen turned to face him, her eyes wild. "I have to," she said, her voice tight, "I have to _know_."

Dewi's skin was peeling back from his face, a long thick strip pulling up from his jaw towards his eye socket. His teeth were clenched, the whites of his eyes gleaming in the ghost light of the memory, staring in disbelief at his brother.

"See, Dewi," Dafydd said, his voice so calm it was almost hysterical, as the skin of Dewi's cheek separated at his eye socket in a neat line, and fell to the floor next to his face with a wet slap. Blood oozed from the exposed muscle, smearing into Dewi's hair and ear. "Do you not bleed as I do?" The edge of the wound started to move, the skin lifting and pulling itself over Dewi's nose, his lips; and now, Dewi did scream, the sound high and strangled through his clenched teeth as Dafydd's spell reached his eyelid, slicing it neatly and slowly away from his socket.

Draco felt the nausea push at his throat, his mouth full of the acrid taste of bile, as Dafydd's spell lifted the entire left half of Dewi's face into the air, the flesh flapping like a grotesque mask. It floated in the air near to Dafydd's face, then pulled and opened next to his, facing Dewi's ruined face.

"Do we not look so similar, brother?" Dafydd said, admiring the skin hovering before him. "Our father's strong jaw, high cheekbones? Although," he added, something of a laugh in his voice, barely audible of the choked screams of his brother, "I guess I'm looking in the wrong place for that, right now."

Blood was blooming through the fabric of Dewi's shirt in thick, dark patches; clearly Dafydd wasn't interested in stripping the whole of Dewi's chest in one large piece, instead skinning him in small, vicious patches.

Then there was another sound, different from the sobbing screams of Dewi and the wet sounds of his skin coming away from his raw, red flesh. It was almost like footsteps, walking through the house beyond the limits of the memory, moving steadily towards the two figures in the room.

"Father?" came a voice, curious but unconcerned. Draco heard Arianwen take a harsh breath beside him, and darted a look at her. Her eyes were fixed on the image before them, her face wet, her hands shaking where there were clenched by her thighs. The voice had, unmistakably, been hers.

"Do you hear that, Dewi?" Dafydd's smile was like oil. "Your daughter is calling for you. Why don't you answer her?"

He twisted his wrist; Dewi screamed, and the door opened.

"Father," Arianwen said, her voice very small and pale, even through the memory.

"Hello, Arianwen," said Dafydd. "So good of you to join us."

Dewi's blood was seeping out across the floor. Arianwen couldn't seem to pull her eyes away from it.

"Do you think you can save him, Arianwen?" Dafydd said, softly. His eyes, so much like hers, held a mockery that Draco recognised. Arianwen finally tore her eyes away from her father to stare at him, white faced and uncomprehending. "Why don't you try?"

For a long moment, Arianwen didn't move, and then she was staggering forward, falling to her knees next to her father, blood splattering around her and soaking through her trousers.

"Oh, Merlin," she was saying, her voice shaking as much as her hands as she fluttered through through the air around her father's face, trying to decide where she was supposed to start with the mess that was in front of her. "Oh god, Daddy."

"Tick tock, little healer," Dafydd said. "He's lost a lot of blood."

Arianwen made a choked sound that sounded like a sob, one hand smoothing over her father's bloody hair as the other settled on the buttons of his shirt. It was difficult to undo, the fabric making horrific sucking sounds as she tried to lift it free without causing Dewi any further distress. His breath kept hitching, a soft, wet sound catching in his throat.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she kept saying. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"See, brother," Dafydd said, "your daughter understands. She knows this is _all her fault_."

But Arianwen wasn't listening. Her fingers had caught on a chain around her father's neck, hidden beneath his shirt. She was pulling it free, staring at it as the weight of the pendant caught against the buttons. Dewi's demeanour changed suddenly, his one good eye wide and horrified, his fingers twitching near Arianwen's knee.

She turned her head, and looked straight at them, only it wasn't truly her. Her eyes were bright, unnatural blue, and she stared out of the memory and into the present. In her hand, half-concealed by blood and viscera, was an old brass key.

Draco felt his limbs seize and his bowels clench. Arianwen stared back at herself, eyes wide and shocked, but something akin to understanding beginning to bloom at the back of her mind. In the memory, Arianwen raised her wand, and green light flashed around the ghostly room.

"What-" said Dafydd, shocked that his niece had just managed to perform an unforgivable curse on her father. Still holding the key, Arianwen looked up at her uncle, her eyes green again; then they rolled back in her head, and she promptly passed out, collapsing sideways next to the corpse of her father, her blonde hair spilling out into the blood still spreading slowly across the floor.

In the stunned silence that followed as the spell dissipated, Draco recovered his wits first. Whilst Dafydd still sat frozen in his chair, staring at the place where the memory had been, Draco reached into his pocket and grabbed the small bag of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder that he had brought with them. Tossing it out into the room, he tugged Arianwen's wrist, and made a dash for the only door he could see.

They ran through a maze of marble-clad corridors and out onto the courtyard, Draco headed for one door but Arianwen stopped him. "No, this way!" They ran through the great hall and out into the grounds.

As they were running past the edge of Myddfai Lake, Arianwen stopped dead and hurled around, searching the water for something.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, trying to pull her away.

"I thought I head someone calling my name." Arianwen said, staring at the rock in the middle of the lake.

"Come _on!"_ Draco cried urgently; not seeing anyone, Arianwen shook her head and followed.

* * *

It felt like they had been running for miles before they crossed a stone bridge and stopped, gasping for breath. Draco's shirt was stuck to his back with sweat and Arianwen didn't look any better, her hands on her knees as her chest heaved.

"Where now?" Draco asked, looking around at the vast expanse of land around them.

"We can floo to Hogwarts from the gate house but it must be at least 5 miles away!"

Draco racked his brain desperately, cursing himself for not preparing a contingency plan. He raised his wand as an idea struck him.

"Accio broom." He called, looking around in the hope that one would arrive. They waited, panting, and then heard the telltale whistling of an approaching broom.

"Thank fuck for that." Draco almost laughed with relief, he climbed on and waited for Arianwen to get on behind him and get a firm grip around his waist.

Arianwen called out directions to Draco as they flew and before long they had landed next to the gatehouse.

"It's through here," Arianwen whispered, guiding Draco through to the gate keeper's living room, "but be quiet or Mr. Reynolds will hear us."

They made it to the fireplace without getting caught and picked up handfuls of floo powder from a small porcelain pot.

"Which fireplace should we floo to?" Arianwen asked.

"It'll have to be Snape's, it's the only one we can use that isn't being monitored by the Ministry." Draco advised. "You first, babe, I'll be right behind you."

Arianwen nodded and stepped into the sooty fireplace, having to hunch her back to fit properly. "Hogwarts: Professor Snape's office." With a flash of emerald green, the flames swallowed her and she went hurtling through the floo network towards Hogwarts.

"Who's there?" A distant voice called from another room.

"Shit!" Draco hissed, he jumped into the fireplace and repeated the destination, managing to hurtle away as he saw a man's figure run into the room he'd just left behind.

He stepped out of the fireplace at the other end and was relieved to see that Professor Snape wasn't there. He brushed the soot off of his robes, then did the same for Arianwen, who was standing very still, her eyes looking off into the distance.

"I'm going to have to use the Disillusionment charm on you again, Ri, just so we can get back to my dorm, we need people to think we've been in there all day."

Arianwen nodded numbly, giving Draco a weak smile. After they were both under the spell, they made their way back to Draco's dorm without issue; most students were still at Hogsmeade and the younger ones out in the grounds or in the library.

When they were safely back in his dorm, Draco removed the charm from them and took in Arianwen's appearance. She looked surprisingly calm but he knew it couldn't last for long, not after what they'd seen.

"Arianwen," he said softly, "I'm going to collect a few things and then take you somewhere more private, okay?"

"Okay. Shall I wait here?"

"No, you go and get a spare change of clothes and then wait for me in the common room. I won't be long, alright?"

She nodded, giving him an unconvincing smile, before heading back up towards the common room, making sure she was seen by the other students.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Draco hurried back into the common room to collect Arianwen. She was waiting patiently for him, a change of clothes folded neatly on her lap.

"I'll take those," he said, picking up her clothes, shrinking them, and putting them in the pocket of his robes. "Follow me."

He took them to the space where the room of requirement should be and paced back and forth three times before a door appeared. He held it open for Arianwen and watched for her reaction, she seemed satisfied enough.

He'd commanded the room to give them a bed, a place to eat, and a cosy fireplace, since Arianwen loved them so much. He had brought food from the kitchens with him, and started placing it on the table.

"Are you hungry?"

She shook her head slowly. "No I don't think I can eat."

Draco sighed and walked up to Arianwen, pulling her into a hug from behind. He felt her body relax and she turned around within the embrace to face him.

"Thank you for coming with me today, I'm glad you insisted," she said softly.

Draco smiled and kissed her gently but when he was about to pull away she leaned in closer, deepening the kiss. She needed to be close to him, she wanted to feel his warmth, his protection, his love…and he was only too willing to provide it.

* * *

 **A/N:** This one was tricky to write, I'm not good at gross torture scenes, so reviews would be especially appreciated!


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two: Grief

**A/N:** Thank you so much to everyone who has favourited/followed, and to ForeverTeamEdward13, Jessie, Aurora (everything that you surmised in your review on chapter 21 is correct but I'll explain more in a few chapters time), MissBlack2, and my Guest reviewer for reviewing the last chapter - your reviews made me so happy that I managed thought I'd update super speedily as a thank you.

I know this chapter is short but I thought Arianwen's grief deserved its own piece, the next one will be back at Hogwarts. The poem in this chapter is by Mary Elizabeth Frye.

 **Please please please listen to the song that's included in the chapter, its called 'With You' by the 'Ghost - The Musical' cast.**

* * *

 _This chapter is dedicated to StarletSpotlight, may your father rest in peace._

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Two: Grief**

Draco sat down next to Arianwen on the bed in the Room of Requirement. She was sitting very still, staring at her hands in her lap. Anyone would have thought that she was just a little subdued but when he saw the whites of her knuckles as her hands clenched together, he knew she was near breaking point.

"I have something for you."

She looked at him in confusion so he carried on, presenting her with a small silver box, engraved with ancient Saxon runes.

"This is a portable penseive. When Pansy destroyed your album, I wrote to your friends and asked them to send me some memories that they have of you, some of them sent memories with your father. Then they asked other people they know to send me memories as well. I put them all in here for you, you can look at them whenever you like. I wanted to get you a proper penseive so you could fit more memories in but they're so rare and I didn't have enough time. I hope this is okay."

Arianwen stared at the little silver box in shock; she took it from him and opened it, wondering which memory it would show her first.

"Can we go in now?"

"Uh-yeah, of course!"

She plunged her hand inside the box and felt it pull her in, figures swirled around her like splashes of black ink in water before they took on a more corporeal form. She landed weightlessly in the audience of a large gathering, Draco landed next to her a few minutes later and they looked around; everyone was wearing black and watching someone making a speech on a raised platform. There was an intricately carved ebony coffin in the centre of the stage and Arianwen felt a lump rising in her throat as she realised she was reliving her father's funeral.

She knew Draco had figured out which scene they'd landed in as she felt his eyes on her; she ignored him and instead listened to the man speaking behind a lectern on the stage, his voice magically amplified.

"-and while the Duchess was his first love, when she gave birth to their daughter, well, I've never seen anyone love anything so fiercely in all my days. That is what I will always remember about the Duke, his devotion to his friends, his subjects and his country, but most of all, his overwhelming love for his beautiful daughter, Lady Arianwen." The man turned to bow his head at Arianwen respectfully, who was sitting on the stage between Gwyn and Brianne; she gave him a forced smile in return before fixing her gaze to something in the distance. "And on this solemn day, I think I speak for us all when I say that we, the people of Wales, will love Lady Arianwen in his stead."

Draco heard Arianwen let out a choked sob next to him, tears were streaming down her face and her lip trembled silently as she watched. He wasted no time in engulfing her in a tight embrace, desperately trying to relieve her of some of her pain. However, as the man announced that Arianwen would be making the next speech, the real-life Arianwen pulled away and stared back at the stage.

In the memory, Arianwen stepped up to the lectern and ran her eyes over the audience.

"Thank you, Earl Bedwyr, and thank you all for coming here today to join me in the mourning of…" she cleared her throat a few times, trying to remain composed, "…of my Father. I did not know how to put this tremendous sense of loss into words, how to tell you all about my Father's life and what he means to me. All I can tell you is that without him I am truly the weakest version of myself, I have a gaping hole in my heart that will never be filled.

Father, you were my Knight, my counsellor and my guide, and for every moment that you lived, you made the world a better place for me to live in. When mother died you told me to think of a poem that you came across in your youth, I still remember it to this day:

 _Do not stand at my grave and weep_ _  
_ _I am not there. I do not sleep._ _  
_ _I am a thousand winds that blow._ _  
_ _I am the diamond glints on snow._ _  
_ _I am the sunlight on ripened grain._ _  
_ _I am the gentle autumn rain._ _  
_ _When you awaken in the morning's hush_ _  
_ _I am the swift uplifting rush_ _  
_ _Of quiet birds in circled flight._ _  
_ _I am the soft stars that shine at night._ _  
_ _Do not stand at my grave and cry;_ _  
_ _I am not there. I did not die._

Those words will stay with me until the day I join you both in the life beyond this one; I hope you have found peace together, Father. You always loved it when I sang to you so now I shall send you off with a song – the very last song, for the very last time."

Upon her queue, a pianist started playing and Arianwen began her ode to her beloved Father:

 _I picked up your shirts this morning_ _  
_ _I don't know why, I don't know why_ _  
_ _Mr Reynolds said to say hello_ _  
_ _I started to cry, I started to cry_ _  
_ _Every place we ever walked and_ _  
_ _Everywhere we talked, I miss you_ _  
_ _You never leave my mind_ _  
_ _So much of you is left behind_

 _You took my days with you_ _  
_ _Took my nights with you_

Draco felt Arianwen move away from him but he let her go, so entranced was he by watching her sing in the memory.

 _Those unfinished conversations_ _  
_ _We used to have still speak to me_ _  
_ _And I write you letters every day_ _  
_ _That I'll never send and you'll never see_ _  
_ _All this wishful thinking_ _  
_ _Gets me nowhere, I can't stay_ _  
_ _Though my heart is broken_ _  
_ _It keeps breaking every day_

 _You took my hopes with you_ _  
_ _Took my dreams with you_

 _I keep thinking that you'll be calling_ _  
_ _Everyone says that it's all in my head_ _  
_ _And I can't accept it yet_ _  
_ _I'm not ready to just give in_ _  
_ _I know that I can't live in this pain_ _  
_ _With these feelings of regret_ _  
_ _I can't comprehend this_ _  
_ _And pretend that I don't care_ _  
_ _Any place I wanna be_ _  
_ _I wanna see you there_

She paused and gulped a few times, unable to stop the tear that had escaped from the corner of her eye. Draco suddenly thought to check for the real-life Arianwen but didn't have to look for long; she had walked up onto the stage and was bent over her father's coffin, her arms wrapped around the top and her shoulders shaking uncontrollably as she cried.

He felt tears welling in his own eyes as he watched her; it was the most excruciating scene he had ever beheld and he found himself thinking of his own father and how he would feel if it were his body in that coffin.

 _You took my life with you_ _  
_ _Took my world with you._

Draco walked up to the stage and placed a hand on Arianwen's back, rubbing it in slow circles. "Ri, I think it's time we go, darling."

She ignored him, her sobs growing in intensity the longer she lay across her father's coffin. Draco forced his arms between her chest and the coffin and prised her apart from it, carrying her away with difficulty as she kicked and screamed, trying desperately to get back.

"NO! FATHER!" She cried out in agony. "DADDY! COME BACK TO ME!"

Draco pointed his wand in the air, gripping her tightly with one arm, the memory started dissipating, swirling and mixing together again.

"NOOO! COME BACK!"

They were propelled from the miniature penseive and made a much more solid connection with the ground than they had the first time, they were back in the room of requirement.

"Please come back," Arianwen whispered, one hand outstretched to the penseive but when nothing happened, she whimpered and crumpled to the floor like a kite with no breeze.

Draco lifted her and carried her over to the bed where he cradled her in his arms as she wept.

* * *

 _A week or so later…_

"Ri, please, just eat it!" Narcissa entered Draco's room to see him kneeling on the floor in front of Arianwen, who was bundled up on one of his sofas. He had given her a plate of food and was watching her in dismay as she simply stared at the plate.

"Draco," Narcissa called as she moved to sit beside Arianwen on the sofa, "why don't you go for a nice walk outside, it's a lovely day."

Draco looked at her like she was crazy, he'd barely left Arianwen's side since they'd been to see her uncle, and had insisted on her staying at the Malfoy Manor over the Easter holidays while she grieved for her father.

"It's alright dear," Narcissa told her son soothingly, "I can look after her for a while."

He nodded and got to his feet slowly, bending down to give Arianwen a kiss on the cheek and whisper, "I won't be long," before leaving his room. He did need a break from it all, it had been agonising watching his cherished Arianwen in so much pain.

Narcissa took the plate from Arianwen's lap and rested it on a side table. Instead, she picked up Arianwen's brush and started smoothing out her hair, singing a lullaby softly as she brushed. She saw Arianwen close her eyes and smile, something about Narcissa's presence made Arianwen calm, and Narcissa found herself falling in love with the young woman as if she were her own daughter.

"My governess used to sing me that when I was little." Arianwen said quietly.

"What ever happened to her?" Narcissa asked as she plaited Arianwen's long hair.

"I don't know to be honest, I think Father must have decided that I was too old for a governess because she left sometime after my fifteenth birthday and I haven't seen her since."

"Mmm yes, probably," Narcissa agreed, "now, Arianwen darling, I would very much like it if you could eat something. I know you don't want to but I think that you'll feel much better if you do."

Arianwen hesitated but looked at the stern expression on Narcissa's face and decided she couldn't refuse. After she'd successfully eaten an entire salmon and cream cheese sandwich, Narcissa pulled off the blanket that Draco had wrapped her in and tucked her into bed again.

"Get some more sleep, darling. Then, if you fancy it later, you may join us for dinner."

Arianwen nodded and stifled a yawn, she closed her eyes and smiled contentedly when Narcissa placed a kiss on her forehead before leaving her to get some much needed rest.

* * *

Draco and Narcissa had started eating their soup when the doors to the dining room opened and Arianwen stood in the frame, smiling sheepishly at them.

"Arianwen?" Draco leapt to his feet and rushed across the table to pull out a chair for her.

"Thank you, Draco," she said softly as she sat down.

Draco looked at his mother, expecting her to look as baffled as he, but she was smiling rather triumphantly at her soup. He couldn't help but stare at Arianwen as she too started to eat; she had changed into some sky blue robes rather than the usual black, the top half of her hair had been pinned back to keep the rest from her face, and she had even applied some make up so her red eyes and nose were disguised.

She must have felt his gaze upon her for she looked up and caught his eye, she blushed and looked back at her soup. Narcissa, who had been watching the coy exchange, smiled to herself.

 _Such a charming pair, if only Lucius were here to see them together._

After dinner, Narcissa requested that they dance for her. Draco had given her a hard glare at this, but when he saw Arianwen's face light up at the idea, he didn't feel quite so resentful.

They danced merrily to an up-tempo song and Arianwen even laughed at one point when he spun her around so quickly that she nearly lost her grip on his hand.

"Draco," Arianwen whispered as he held her close to his chest to guide her through a much slower, gentler dance.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for the penseive, I think I'm ready to look at the other memories in there now. I can't believe you went to all of that effort for me, especially considering we weren't even on good terms at the time."

Draco frowned. "Why can't you believe it? Come on Ri, have you really not noticed how pitifully in love with you I am?"

Arianwen's face flushed for the second time that evening but she held his gaze this time.

"My Father would have loved you." Tears pricked at her eyes again but she didn't let them fall, she wanted to be strong.

"Yes," Draco said, the corner of his mouth twitching into a half smile, "I'd say we might have had something in common."

Upon understanding that Draco was meaning her, she couldn't hold the tears in any longer, but somehow that was okay, she knew that she didn't have to be strong when he was there – he would love her either way. She smiled through her tears and tilted her head up to kiss him tenderly.

It was beautifully bittersweet.

Draco couldn't fill the void that her father had left, that was a different type of love entirely and now that it was gone, it couldn't be replaced, but he did do a damn good job of shouldering the burden and somehow making her sorrow more bearable.

 _Do not stand at my grave and cry. I am not there. I did not die._


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three: Confidant

**A/N:** Thanks to MissBlack2 and my Guest reviewer for leaving a review on the last chapter, they made me smile! Aurora: to further reply to your review on the last chapter, Arianwen's father died in the summer before sixth year, the key that she saw in the memory of her father dying was the same key that was featured in her dream about The Great Keep in Pembroke Castle - you'll learn more about that soon, I agree the torture scene was passable but like you I'm also squeamish haha! I'm not a Latin student no, but I did study law for a while so picked up a few latin phrases there!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Three: Confidant**

The month of May was spent cramming as much panic-revision in as possible. Arianwen and Draco hadn't been able to make much time to see each other, so Arianwen found herself sneaking down to the boys' dormitories to wait for Draco most nights. Draco certainly didn't mind this, it was nice for him to be able to slip into bed next to her and fall asleep, and Arianwen was always careful to be seen in her own bed first.

She had become a lot more like herself in the weeks that had recently passed. She was back to enthusiastically helping out in the Hospital Wing and doting on the patients, sending out money from her family's charitable fund to help the less advantaged in her counties, and hadn't been mentioned in the headlines for weeks. Leah had been sending Arianwen frequent demands for money, even though she knew that her main accounts had been frozen, so Arianwen had sent her very last bag of money to her. She told herself not to mind sending the money, Leah and Lloyd undoubtedly needed it more than her after all, but Leah was refusing Arianwen visitation of her cousin and she was starting to worry for his welfare.

Arianwen and Draco were enjoying a rare few hours of free time together on a bench by the lake. It was a delightfully sunny day but the air was still quite crisp and cold so Arianwen was glad when Draco put his arm around her and tucked her into his cloak.

"Mother asked me to give you this, by the way." Draco pulled a letter from his pocket and passed it to Arianwen.

"Oh really? What does it say?"

Draco laughed, a rare laugh that for a second could make you forget the constant strain on his features these days. "I don't know babe, I didn't open it."

"Oh, okay then," Arianwen murmured as she ripped the letter open and read its contents.

"Oh, how lovely!" She exclaimed after a few minutes, Draco simply raised an eyebrow questioningly. "She wants to know if I still want to visit your estate in France at the end of the summer. Will you be coming too?"

Draco shrugged, looking out over the black lake. "Not if the Dark Lord has anything to say about it." He looked at her from the corner of his eye and saw the worry on her face; he'd have to distract her. "Besides, I'm sure Mother wants to go alone with you, she's become quite fond of you for some reason."

Arianwen laughed and dug her fingers into his robes, pausing ominously next to his armpits. "Draco Malfoy, you had better not upset me, I know your weakness and I'm not afraid to use it against you!"

"What? I was simply informing you of how much my Mother likes you, hardly a crime, dear," he said innocently. She lowered her hands and leant back on the bench.

"Although when she hears you snoring at night, she might change her mind…"

"Right!" Arianwen shouted, jumping onto Draco's lap and baring her hands threateningly. "You asked for this, Malfoy!"

She plunged her hands inside his robes and started tickling him feverishly; he cracked up into uncontrollable laughter and she grinned triumphantly. Just as she was starting to get overly triumphant and cackling evilly, he scooped her up, threw her over his shoulder and started walking back to the castle.

"Hey! Put me down!" She shouted indignantly, from her upside-down position.

"Oh no," he drawled, "no I'm afraid I won't be able to do that for you darling, the view is far too good from where I'm standing," he teased, referring to her bottom which was right next to his face.

"Draco!" She wailed, sounding much less confident than before. "Put me down!"

He grudgingly obeyed and when she had regained her composure, she immediately crossed her arms and huffed at him. "You were just humouring me, weren't you? You could've stopped me tickling you whenever you wanted!"

Draco laughed at her pouty face. "Yes, of course I could, but that wouldn't have been any fun would it?"

She made another odd huffing noise and stomped one of her feet before attempting to march back to the castle, but when Draco caught her arm and pulled her back to him, her face was full of smiles.

They both laughed for a while before Draco cupped the side of her face and pulled her into a long, passionate kiss. She felt her heart dance as it always did when he kissed her and sighed contentedly against him, she snaked her arms behind his back so she could pull herself as close to him as possible.

In that moment, she knew that if this was what life with Draco would always be like, she would be a very happy woman.

* * *

The couple sat together at dinnertime, Draco reading an article in the Daily Prophet and Arianwen making changes to a medical essay she wanted Madam Pomfrey to read over.

Draco threw the paper down on the table, glowering. "Ridiculous!"

Arianwen jumped slightly, his outburst taking her by surprise. She picked up the newspaper and skimmed over the article he had been reading, it was about his father's imprisonment in Azkaban.

"Those vultures are bloody obsessed, they jump on any scrap of information they can get and then produce this drivel for weeks on end!"

Arianwen put a hand over his and cooed, "Draco," soothingly. Her calming tactics seemed to work, for his face softened and he sighed heavily.

"I thought you said he'd be released soon enough anyway?" She said, hoping the thought of his father being released would comfort him.

In fact, it did the exact opposite. Draco looked more distraught than she had ever seen him; he put his head in his hands and gripped his hair.

"He'll only be released if I can get it to work and finish my bloody task!" Draco whispered from behind his hands.

"Get what to work? Draco, come on, let me help you!"

Draco looked up slowly and smoothed his hair out, he arranged his face back into his usual expression of careful control and stood up to leave.

"Sorry, Ri, I'd better get going."

"Draco!" She called after him, jogging to catch up as he rushed out of the Great Hall. She managed to pull him to a stop just outside it. "You would tell me if you needed anything, wouldn't you?" He said nothing. "Even if you just wanted to talk about everything, you would speak to me, right?"

He plastered a fake smile on his face and kissed her cheek. "Of course I would," he lied, "but I'm fine, just a little stressed, that's all."

She nodded slowly, trying to decide if he was being truthful or not. "Okay then. I'll be in the Hospital Wing if you need me."

He smiled tightly and squeezed her shoulder before dashing off down the corridor.

* * *

Draco didn't go to the seventh floor immediately, he knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate when he felt like such a failure. It was a feeling he was used to of course, he would get it every time he heard that Hermione Granger had beaten him on a test for he knew that his father wouldn't take the news lightly, but this time it was different. This time there was no hope. When his grades fell, he could work harder and they would improve, he could make snide comments to Granger or play tricks on her to meddle with her psyche; this task he had been given however…it was impossible.

He had considered asking Snape for help, it would be the easy way out certainly, but he didn't want Snape to steal his glory and the potential redemption of his family. He considered telling Arianwen how he felt, she had some unearthly ability to calm him in any circumstance after all, but she was finally recovering from her grief of her father and he didn't want to put this extra stress on her.

At the beginning of the year, he had tried to speak to his mother about it, but all she would ever do is cry and whine about how they needed his father. The thought gave him an inexplicable urge to punch something.

 _How could Father leave me in this mess?_

It wasn't even the thought of killing the old fool, Dumbledore, that was bothering him, he would cross that bridge when he reached it, but he needed to get the Death Eaters into the castle and the vanishing cabinet was still broken.

He couldn't shake the image of Voldemort slowly torturing and murdering his parents in front of him as punishment for his incompetency, it was a thought that would send anyone to the brink of utter despair. He felt his chest constricting, the back of his throat become painful and raw and his face contorting to prevent the tears from falling. He knew he couldn't control himself this time, he needed to let it out.

He ran into the nearest bathroom on the third floor and slammed the door shut behind him. As soon as he was satisfied that no one was in there, he let them fall. Painful sobs ripped at every fibre of his being, his breathing inconsistent and wretched; he staggered over to a sink and gripped its sides for support.

"Don't," crooned Moaning Myrtle, he was ashamed to say that she had seen him like this on more than one occasion. "Don't…tell me what's wrong…I can help you."

"No one can help me," Draco spat. His whole body was shaking. "I can't do it. I can't…it won't work…and unless I do it soon…he says he'll kill me."

 _Pull yourself together boy, you're a Malfoy!_ The voice of his father echoed through his head. He gasped and gulped and then, with a great shudder, looked up into the cracked mirror and saw Harry Potter staring at him over his shoulder.

He wheeled around, drawing his wand. Instinctively, Harry pulled out his own. Draco's hex missed Harry by inches, shattering the lamp on the wall beside him; Harry threw himself sideways and flicked his wand at Draco, attempting to cast a non-verbal spell, but Draco blocked the jinx and raised his wand for another.

"No! No! Stop it!" squealed Moaning Myrtle, her voice echoing loudly around the tiled room. "Stop! STOP!"

Draco ignored her and fired another spell at Harry, there was a loud bang and the bin behind Harry exploded. Harry threw another jinx back at Draco but he missed and it backfired off the wall behind Draco's ear and smashed the cistern beneath Moaning Myrtle, who screamed loudly; water poured everywhere and Harry slipped.

Knowing this was his best opportunity, Draco, his face contorted, cried, "Crui-"

"SECTUMSEMPRA!" bellowed Harry from the floor, waving his wand wildly.

Blood spurted from Draco's face and chest as though he had been slashed with an invisible sword. He staggered backward and collapsed onto the waterlogged floor with a great splash, his wand falling from his limp right hand.

He scrabbled at his chest, it felt like ice cold knives were clawing at his skin, his hot, sticky blood pouring out onto the floor. He vaguely heard someone's voice beside him, though he couldn't make out who it was or what they were saying.

A ringing sound was reverberating through his ears, its deafening crescendo blocking any other external noise. His eyes had clouded over and all he could see was white; glowing, serene white, and he smiled.

 _I'm going to die now._

It was not a scary thought as he had always expected it to be, in actuality it was quite nice, he was free from responsibility, free to drift off to his next life.

His serenity didn't last long.

Hands hoisted him into an upright position and he could make out a man saying, "you need the Hospital Wing. There may be a certain amount of scarring but if you take dittany immediately we might avoid even that. Come."

Somehow his legs were able to take his weight and he moved, his body supported by the other man. He didn't hear anything more until they burst into an overpoweringly bright room.

Someone shouted, "Draco!" and lifted his face. He just about made out a pair of wonderful green eyes before his vision blurred over again. A pleasant sweet aroma was dancing up his nostrils and he felt the urge to smile, it was so familiar, so enticing…and then his world went black.

* * *

Arianwen begged Madam Pomfrey to allow her to stay in the Hospital Wing with Draco that night, and after some persuasion, the matron agreed. She had rushed to Draco as soon as Professor Snape brought him in, and while she had felt the initial intoxicating rush of panic, her more urgent medical rationale took over.

She had never seen a spell quite like it; for so many lacerations to tear the body all at once, the user could not have intended to maim or injure, they would have intended to kill. Snape had said that Harry Potter was Draco's attacker, but she had not had time to dwell on the information yet.

"What am I going to do with you, Draco?" she whispered, brushing her fingers through his hair rhythmically. He did not wake but simply continued to breathe slowly through his nose, his mind far away in his dreams.

Arianwen had cleaned Draco's blood from every inch of his body by hand, insisting that to use magic would be far too harsh on his raw skin. Professor Snape had managed to seal most of Draco's wounds with his quick counter-curse and Arianwen gave him dittany to help with the scarring. Some of the larger wounds were still in the process of healing as Snape hadn't recited the counter-curse for long enough but it wasn't a major issue. Arianwen had bandaged the worst affected areas and planned to treat them once or twice a day as required.

She was now slumped in a chair beside Draco's bed, her head resting on the mattress; Madam Pomfrey had suggested she sleep in one of the adjacent beds but Arianwen couldn't bear to be so far from him. She watched his chest move steadily up and down as he slept and silently thanked the heavens that Snape had reached him in time.

* * *

Arianwen did not know how long she had been asleep for but when Madam Pomfrey gently shook her shoulder to wake her, she felt as though her eyes could have only been closed for a moment.

"Good morning, dear. Have you been asleep like that all night?"

Arianwen rubbed her eyes and nodded, yawning. "Yeah I think I must have. Have you heard anything more about what happened to Draco? Professor Snape said it was Harry Potter?" Arianwen probed, knowing that Madam Pomfrey would have already been to the brief staff meeting that they held every morning so it might have been discussed amongst the other Professors.

Poppy shifted uncomfortably, wondering whether to divulge the information to a student; but Arianwen wasn't any old student, she reassured herself.

"Yes it was Mr. Potter that cast the spell that made Mr. Malfoy so…" she gestured at him in an attempt to make her point, "…ill. However, as Malfoy apparently threw some dark curses in Potter's direction also, Professor Dumbledore has decided that the punishment that Professor Snape gave at the time of the incident is sufficient."

Arianwen raised her eyebrows questioningly. "And what punishment is that?"

"Potter is to attend detention every Saturday until the end of term."

"Detention." Arianwen repeated slowly, sounding out every syllable as if she was unfamiliar with the word. After Poppy nodded firmly, Arianwen calmly got to her feet and smiled widely. "That's fucked up."

* * *

She reached Dumbledore's office minutes later, she could hear someone else in there with him but she didn't care. The door flew open and she marched in, undoing her blood-stained apron and throwing it down on the headmaster's desk.

"Detention? You're letting Potter get away with detention?"

"Lady Arianwen, please sit down." He gestured towards a chair opposite his desk but Arianwen's eyes didn't leave his and when it became clear that she would not do as he requested, he continued, "I haven't taken this decision lightly, but I think you'll find that the other Professors and I are in agreement that Mr. Potter's punishment is fair-"

"Fair? How the hell is it fair that Potter gets detention for attempting to kill Draco, when I got suspended for inflicting a few harmless burns? Potter should be expelled at the very _least!"_

"Harry Potter did not _intend_ to cause serious harm to Mr. Malfoy, Arianwen, whereas you did mean to hurt Miss Parkinson."

Arianwen gaped at him, was he really going to turn a blind eye to Potter's actions just because he was the golden boy?

"You can't really believe that Potter acted without malice aforethought, Professor. _He_ cast the spell, it didn't cast itself; he knew what he was doing!"

The Professor sighed and pressed his fingertips together sedately. "I'm afraid I still do not agree with you, your Ladyship. Mr. Potter read the spell in a book and used it without knowing its use, therefore I do not believe that he acted maliciously."

"So he used a spell that he didn't even understand? Well that's just foolhardy! Attempted manslaughter then, if you refuse to call it attempted murder. He should be tried by the Wizengamot!"

"That will not be happening, Lady Arianwen," Dumbledore said with a tone of absolute finality. "Now if you would care to take a seat, I shall be happy to explain my decision further."

Arianwen threw her hands in the air exasperatedly and span around to take the seat he had gestured to earlier, it was only then that she realised that Mrs Malfoy had been in the office the whole time, perching on the chair next to hers.

"Mrs Malfoy! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there, I-"

Narcissa shook her head to stop her string of apologies and stood to greet her, placing a kiss on each cheek. "Arianwen darling, how is Draco?"

Arianwen opened her mouth to speak but the headmaster answered for her. "Draco is stable, Mrs Malfoy. Perhaps Arianwen can take you to visit him?"

Arianwen glared at him, he knew she wouldn't refuse Mrs Malfoy. She attempted to give him a glare that said 'this isn't over' as she followed Draco's mother out of the office, but by Dumbledore's polite smile she wasn't sure if she had achieved her aim.

When they entered the Hospital Wing, Draco was awake and being fussed over by Pansy Parkinson. He looked tired but certainly much better than he had the night before, but even so, Mrs Malfoy rushed over to him and started gushing about how worried she had been.

Arianwen hung back, watching Pansy simper to Mrs Malfoy and Draco in turn.

 _Wow, this bitch really doesn't quit._

Draco looked past them both and locked eyes with Arianwen, he gave her a small smile which she returned, moving to stand at the foot of his bed. She picked up his chart and jotted down the only observation she could make until she could get closer to him: _'9:15am - Patient is conscious and talking.'_

Pansy, who had still not noticed Arianwen's presence, was trying to impress Mrs Malfoy. "I came as soon as I heard that poor Draco had been attacked. I wouldn't want you to think that he was all alone, Mrs Malfoy, I looked after him for you. Draco said I was like his guardian angel!"

Arianwen raised her eyebrow at Draco in a way that indicated that she was thoroughly unimpressed.

"I did not!" He protested, his eyes widening.

Pansy and Mrs Malfoy finally noticed that Draco was not looking at either of them and looked between him and Arianwen silently.

"I'm going to freshen up." Arianwen announced eventually, breaking eye contact with Draco as she disappeared into the matron's office.

* * *

Poppy had assigned her a small armoire to keep spare clothes in; she removed some fresh robes and a clean apron from it, changed and washed her face before re-emerging into the ward.

She frowned as she approached Draco's bed, she could see blood slowly fanning across the white sheets over his chest. Without uttering a word to Pansy, she slipped past her and pulled Draco's duvet down to inspect his bandages.

"Draco, what have you done to your bandages?" She asked sternly.

"It wasn't him," Pansy answered, stepping forward authoritatively, "I loosened them, I can't see why you decided to tighten them so much, poor Draco was too afraid to tell you it was uncomfortable!" Then, in an exaggerated whisper to Mrs Malfoy, she said, "He's often too afraid to contradict her, she's so hard on him all the time!"

Arianwen would have snapped at Pansy had she not been worried about how much blood Draco was losing. She teased the bandage away, deciding she would have to redress the wound but before she could do anything his blood spurted from the deep cut and splattered over Arianwen's face and chest. She quickly pressed her hand to it to stem the flow of blood but due to the sudden blood loss, Draco leant over the side of the bed and threw up all over her feet.

Pansy leapt back and shrieked, complaining loudly that Draco's vomit had nearly touched her. Arianwen didn't jump, shriek or complain however – she didn't even grimace, blood and vomit were minor issues for her now.

With one hand still pressed to Draco's wound, she pulled out her wand, produced a bowl, and passed it to him.

"Sorry." He said, his voice thick with nausea.

"Pass me those bandages please, Parkinson." Arianwen asked through gritted teeth. Pansy eyed her moodily but passed the bandages all the same.

She carefully redressed Draco's wound and pulled the covers up to keep him warm. "I had to make his bandages tight so that there would be enough pressure on his wound for it to remain closed and the skin to heal around it. When you loosened the bandages, you dislodged the fragile skin that was forming over the wound and reopened it. I would strongly advise that you do not attempt to fiddle with such things again in the future and rather wait for the opinion of someone who is actually qualified." She explained, struggling to keep the irritation from her tone.

She heard Pansy huffing from behind her but ignored her, instead taking a pillow from the adjacent bed and placing it behind Draco's head, arranging the other pillow to sit more comfortably for him. When she was satisfied that he wouldn't be sick again, she took the bowl from him and vanished the vomit from the floor and her shoes. Draco took her hand carefully and brought it to his face, brushing his lips against it gently.

Arianwen gave him an attenuated smile before announcing that she would have to freshen up again as Draco's blood started to harden on her face.

"I suggest you give Mrs Malfoy some time alone with her son, Parkinson." Arianwen said commandingly before she left.

* * *

"She seems tense." Draco said weakly to his mother when Arianwen and Pansy had gone.

Narcissa nodded, smoothing Draco's hair affectionately. "I dare say she is, darling. She burst into the Headmaster's office when I was there earlier, started shouting at him for not expelling the Potter boy, you must have given her quite a fright when Severus brought you in."

"Oh," was all he could manage. He leant further into the pillows and shut his eyes, allowing his mother's soothing touch to calm him as she questioned him about what happened the evening before.

After twenty minutes or so, Madam Pomfrey came to check on them. "Good morning Mrs Malfoy," she greeted. "How are you feeling now, Mr. Malfoy?"

"A fair bit better, thank you," he replied politely.

"Good. Not that I'm surprised of course, Lady Arianwen has been keeping a close eye on you, dear. Very promising healer that one," Madam Pomfrey continued without encouragement. "Though she is rather stubborn, insisted on staying by your bedside for the whole night, bless her." She chuckled to herself and bustled off to another patient at the end of the ward.

Narcissa smiled at her son warmly. "Wonderful girl. Have you considered a possible engagement, Draco? We really ought to start considering your future."

Draco felt a twinge in his stomach as he contemplated telling her that he doubted he would have a future if his efforts to complete the task that the Dark Lord had set him continued as they had been. Although as Arianwen was walking towards them with a tray in hand, he simply settled for a warning, "Mother!"

Arianwen set the tray down on a table at the end of Draco's bed and pulled a chair up for Mrs Malfoy. She passed a small cup to Draco and told him to drink it, "it's a blood replenishing potion, doesn't taste great but it'll make you feel a lot better."

She watched him drink it and then passed a cup of tea to Mrs Malfoy. "I have to go to Transfiguration now but I'll come back to check on you at lunch time. I wish I could have seen you under better circumstances, Mrs Malfoy, but it was a pleasure nevertheless."

"Goodbye, darling." Mrs Malfoy said, pulling the girl into a grateful embrace. "Thank you for looking after Draco. I'll write to you when I have more information about our little getaway this summer."

Arianwen smiled at Narcissa, then moved to Draco's bedside to place a kiss on his cheek. "See you later," she whispered.

"Thanks, Ri." He said softly. "Don't take any notice of Pansy, will you?"

She laughed and shook her head, "I won't, don't worry!" She called as she left the Hospital Wing. However, when she got to Charms after her Transfiguration lesson and Pansy started telling her that she'd heard that Draco had been confiding in Moaning Myrtle, the depressed ghost, over herself, it wasn't so easy to let Pansy's words roll off her.

* * *

 **A/N:** Not much response on the last chapter :( Is there something you'd like me to do differently? **Please let me know by PM/review!**


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four: Succession

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone that reviewed, followed and favourited since the last chapter, glad to see that you all appreciated the canon! Interesting idea from Aurora to give the Pansy/Draco relationship a bit more attention in the later chapters, I'll see what I can do to work it in :)

I also decided to invent a civil law court to go alongside the Wizengamot for this chapter. It is called the Burgamot – the supreme court for civil law (Wizengamot for criminal law) made up of the old English, 'burglagu' meaning 'civil law' and 'gemot' meaning 'assembly' so roughly speaking, the words have been merged to mean 'assembly for civil law'.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Four: Succession**

"I know you're a clever witch and all, Ri, but I don't think even you have the ability to command objects with your eyes," Blaise said jokingly. He was sitting next to Arianwen at breakfast and had been watching her ever since she'd received a letter that she had proceeded to stare at rather than open.

"Mmm?" she mumbled absently, eyes still transfixed on the envelope on the table.

"Just open it for Salazar's sake!" He prompted, reaching for the letter and waving it in front of her face.

"I can't!" she squeaked, moving her eyes away from it for the first time since it had been delivered and looking at Blaise worriedly. "You do it!"

"Me? Why can't you open it yourself? What is it?" he examined the envelope for clues as to its content. "Is this from the Ministry?"

She nodded shakily. "Yeah. It's the result of my petition; they debated it early this morning. That letter has the news of whether I get my inheritance or if it gets passed to Uncle Dafydd."

"Oh wow." Blaise said, wide eyed. He pressed the envelope into her hands, as if to say 'open it'.

With quaking hands, she broke the seal and unrolled the parchment but at the last second, shoved it back to Blaise. "You read it!"

She watched his eyes move across the parchment but his face gave nothing away; after what felt like decades, he rolled the parchment back up and met her gaze carefully.

"Well?" she demanded, sitting on the very edge of her seat.

"Well, I'm afraid," Arianwen's face paled, "that I'm going to have to come up with a new nickname for you. How do you like Duchie or Duckie perhaps?"

"Excuse me?"

"You did it, Arianwen. Listen, it says: 'The Burgamot have passed your motion to remove gender considerations from inheritance decisions', you've won! You're the new Duchess!"

Arianwen stared at him, her mouth slightly open as she processed the information. Slowly, the corners of her mouth started to twitch upwards and before long she was wearing an all-out grin. She made an odd squealing sound and Blaise took this as his queue to grab her hand and drag her from the Great Hall

"Come on, we have to celebrate!"

* * *

Blaise had arranged for them to have a party that night in the Slytherin common room. While they did have to attend classes that day, the evening soon approached and Arianwen could hardly keep the smile from her face.

As she was walking back into the Slytherin common room, she collided with someone and staggered backwards.

"Oh sorry," she mumbled, rubbing her head. She looked up to see Draco, readjusting his robes and looking positively ecstatic.

"Ri! I've been looking for you," he said happily.

By the look on his face, she assumed that Blaise had beaten her to it and told Draco about her news. "You heard then?"

"Heard? What? No, Ri, I did it! That thing I've been working on all year – its ready!"

Arianwen blinked a few times, trying to work out what he was talking about. Then suddenly, she realised he meant his task, the one that the Dark Lord had set him.

"Oh Draco, that's wonderful! So uh- what happens next?"

"Well I need to uh-send a message, that's actually what I was on my way to do when we ran into each other so I'd better go." He said quickly, starting back towards the common room exit but he hesitated before he reached it he turned back around, pulled Arianwen close and kissed her.

It was a hard, explosive kiss, one that made her feel like her feet were being lifted from the ground as his hot lips ignited a fire in her chest. Just as she was getting into it and had wrapped her arms around his neck, she heard a loud wolf whistle and laughter from behind them. She pulled away, blushing, but Draco didn't appear to care, he kissed her cheek gently and said quietly, "I'll explain everything soon but can you just promise me that you'll stay in here tonight?"

She bit her lip nervously. "Why? What's going to happen?"

"Arianwen," he scolded in a low voice, his eyes boring into hers compellingly.

She sighed but nodded in agreement. "Okay fine, I promise. Just – will you just be careful? Please?"

He smiled reassuringly at her, seemingly relieved that she'd agreed to stay in the common room. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'll see you later, okay?"

She smiled and leaned in to kiss his cheek, but just as she did he whispered, "I love you," squeezed her hand and hurried off. She exhaled audibly, staring at the place he'd just disappeared from, her news would just have to wait.

* * *

Draco had hidden himself in a rarely used classroom on the first floor, he had just sent a message to Madam Rosmerta who he'd been keeping under his influence via the Imperius Curse and was now waiting for her response.

He felt the coin in his hand burn against his palm and held it up, it read, _"Dumbledore has left the castle, will be in Hogshead while he has a few drinks."_

That was it. He knew it was finally his chance to show everyone what he was capable of, he wasn't just some foolish schoolboy, he was going to kill Albus Dumbledore.

The thought both excited and unnerved him but just as soon as the weight of his task truly dawned on him, the door to his hiding place flew open and Severus Snape stalked in.

"Following me again, Professor?" Draco sneered, "So bored of your own pathetic existence, you have to follow mine?"

"That's enough." Snape spat venomously, "you know fine well that your mother asked me to watch over you. Now, I notice that the Headmaster isn't in his office, tell me, is it done?"

Draco glared at him. _As if it's any of your business._ "Not yet, but it will happen tonight. The other Death Eaters are coming too, so if you excuse me, I have to go and meet them."

He tried to push past Snape but the professor seized his wrist, turning it back painfully.

"Be careful Draco, you must not fail. Too much is riding on this."

"You think I don't know that?" Draco hissed, yanking his arm away. "Stop interfering. This is my task, and only _I_ will complete it."

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room…_

Arianwen and Blaise were swaying, arm in arm, singing a loud and out-of-tune version of the old folk song, 'Drunken Sailor'. They had only reached the third verse when they started to struggle with the words.

"Put him in a… wha' did they pur' im' in again, Ri?" slurred Blaise.

Arianwen stared at him, she had decided that rather than respond to his question, she would try to tap the tip of his nose with her index finger, something that was very difficult to do when she had had a few too many shots of firewhiskey.

"Put him in a long boat 'til he's sober!" Shouted a rather drunk Goyle from the sofa.

"Tha's it!" Arianwen cheered.

 _"Put him in a long boat 'til he's sober,_

 _Put him in a long boat 'til he's sober,_

 _Put him in a long boat 'til he's SOBEEER…_

 _Early in the morning!"_

They sang together, waving their hands at the ceiling for dramatic affect. A group of rowdy seventh years cheered them from the sofas and the pair bowed.

"Um, Miss Duchess Lady?" Squeaked a young girl.

"Mmm?" Arianwen mumbled, smiling at the first year.

"I think this is for you." She held out a vibrant red envelope and the surrounding Slytherin's hushed each other, leering at her unsympathetically. Someone had sent Arianwen a Howler.

"Ouch!" The girl dropped the letter on the floor after Arianwen failed to take it from her before it started heating up in her hands. Before Arianwen could grab the letter and escape to somewhere more private, it exploded and a deep, booming voice captivated the attention of the room.

Arianwen recognised the voice immediately, it was Aneirin.

"HE KNOWS. YOUR MAID IS DEAD. THE CHILD IS SAFE. BE ON HIGH ALERT, HE WILL BE COMING FOR YOU NEXT."

Arianwen clapped her hands to her mouth to cover her gasp. The Howler ripped itself up into tiny shreds of paper and one piece caught her eye as it floated raggedly through the air. It was a final message from Aneirin:

 _"Reply as soon as you get this so I know that you're safe."_

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Blaise spoke first.

Arianwen looked up to see the confused expressions of her housemates, they hadn't understood a word of the Howler as Aneirin was speaking Welsh.

 _Thank fuck for that._

She could hardly make sense of what she'd heard either.

 _So Uncle found out about baby Lloyd and had presumably tracked down Leah and questioned her about it, then killed her, and then somehow Aneirin managed to get Lloyd and take him to safety? And now Uncle Dafydd is coming after me?_

It was a chilling thought but Arianwen barely had a chance to dwell on it as Blaise was tapping his foot impatiently, waiting for her explanation.

"Uh its nothing," she said, suddenly feeling a lot more sober than she had a few minutes earlier, "I just need to send a quick letter."

She called over to the young girl that had brought her the message. "Where's the owl that delivered that letter, lovely?"

The girl shrugged and pointed to Crabbe, who was sulking at a table near the common room door. "He let it in!"

Arianwen approached him and tried not to roll her eyes as he cradled his left hand, which sported a few peck marks.

"Where's the owl, Vincent?"

"Well I didn't keep a hold of the bloody thing, it was about to peck me half to death the way it was trying to get in here!" He growled, holding up his hand as proof.

She sighed exasperatedly and waved her wand over his hand, the marks vanished and he looked mildly happier.

"I'm going to the Owlery, Blaise, won't be long!" Arianwen shouted over her shoulder to her friend, not that he seemed overly bothered; he'd just cracked open a fresh bottle of firewhiskey and was pouring a round of over-generous shots.

"Alright, see you in a bit!" He called back. "Now, who wants a shot?"

* * *

After sending a quick message back to Aneirin, advising him that she was safe and enquiring about what had transpired, Arianwen made her way quietly down the tower and out towards the courtyard.

Something caught her eye from beyond a window in the corridor and she came to a sudden and immediate halt. She stared at it, aghast at its grotesque shape; for there, above the Astronomy Tower was the Dark Mark.

She heard distant shouts and screams from its direction and felt her heart beating through her chest as terror coursed through her.

 _Is someone dead? Are there Death Eaters in the castle tonight? But how? How did they get in?_

And then, with a terrible shuddering drop in her stomach, she realised…Draco.

Without instruction, her feet started chasing each other towards the Astronomy Tower and her body followed, hurtling itself to the source of the shouts. Multi-coloured flashes of light were ricocheting around the courtyard; Death Eaters, teachers and even students were battling furiously. It looked odd, like an elaborate dance production.

With all that movement, it would have been easy to miss the motionless bodies lying in pools of their own blood at the centre of the action but Arianwen's eye had been trained to spot just that. Wand drawn, she catapulted over to them, dodging spells as she ran, and flung herself down beside them. Their bodies were face down on the stone and when she felt for their pulse, only one heart was still beating.

She mustered all of her strength and wrenched the shoulder of the only alive person, turning him onto his back so she could examine his wounds. He let out the tiniest of groans as she tried spell after spell to heal his mauled body.

"What's your name, love?" She asked routinely; it was always important to keep the patient conscious for as long as possible or they may encounter greater difficulties further down the line.

The man tried to speak but could only manage a weak whisper of a word, something that sounded a bit like 'Will'.

"Will, is it? Okay Will, my name is Arianwen, I'm going to help you but I need you to stay awake for me, alright?"

He grumbled in response but it was enough, she just needed him to stay awake a little while longer. For some reason her spells weren't healing his deep gashes and she started to wonder if he had been attacked by an animal rather than a human. Deciding she would focus on preventing any more blood loss she enlarged the emergency medical kit that she always carried with her and pulled out some tiny claw like clips.

"Now Will, hun, I need to get you to the Hospital Wing but I've got to clip some of these wounds together first. I won't lie to you, it's going to be very painful but I want you to be brave for me, okay?"

"'kay," he rasped.

"Right, okay then." She levitated some of the little claw clips to hover above his deepest wound in readiness to clasp his skin together and magically form a barrier to prevent any further blood spillage. "On the count of three: one, two-"

"Arianwen!"

Her head snapped towards the voice, _could it be?_

It was. Draco was running towards her, his cloak billowing behind him, giving him the look of a bird of prey swooping upon its victim.

But as he got closer, she saw the look of unequivocal fury on his face.

"I TOLD YOU TO STAY PUT!" He roared, charging at her like he was going to knock her so hard she would propel backwards to the dungeons.

Before he reached her, a hand grasped the hood of his cloak and tugged, forcing him to change direction.

"KEEP MOVING OUT!" Professor Snape screamed at him, and without a second glance, they both charged through the midst of the action and down in the direction of the school gates.

She was jolted back to her senses when someone tripped over the bodies she was tending too. It was Harry Potter. He hadn't even noticed her however, and quickly regained his balance, following Snape and Draco.

She looked back down at Will, whose eyes were threatening to roll back in his head.

"Three." She flicked her wand down and the clips clawed through his skin, pulling it taught over the exposed flesh. The man screamed horrifically but she carried on, now preparing the next set of clips. Just as she was about to set them upon his skin, a strong, hairy arm wrapped itself around her waist from behind and a hand clapped over her mouth.

Her body was slammed against a wall and her attacker held her in place with just one hand, which was half covering her mouth and half pressing her jaw and chin savagely against the stone. She could smell a mixture of dirt, blood and sweat from under his clawed yellow fingernails and she knew that this was the thing that had attacked Will.

"Think you can heal my latest kill do you, girly?" rasped the huge, whiskered man in her ear.

He laughed unnervingly at the fearful look in her eyes. "Don't worry, you won't end up like him, I have much better uses for you." He leant in and licked her cheek with his rough tongue, she flinched and tried to turn her face away but he had her in such a strong grip that she could do nothing.

To her horror, he started unbuckling his belt and trousers with his free hand and then, when he was naked from the waist down, he pressed his body against hers and ripped at the fabric of her skirt with his nails.

She screamed against his hand but all that came out was a muffled cry. Impatiently, he slipped his hand under her skirt and inside her knickers, his disgusting fingers scratching at the most delicate of areas.

She tried to lash out, to kick him, slap him, anything; but he was too strong, she was helpless.

Just as she thought all was lost she heard the tapping of hurried footsteps and her captor loosened his grip and wheeled around.

"STUPEFY!"

The man's body instantly collapsed, unconscious, clearing Arianwen's vision to see her saviour; Neville Longbottom ran over to her and embraced her tightly.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

He smiled at her before looking down at her attacker in disgust.

"That's Fenrir Greyback, right horrible werewolf he is. I think he's attacked someone else tonight too."

She gasped, "Will! We have to help him!"

They ran back in the direction from whence they came but Will had already blacked out. Standing over him, Neville seemed to recognise him for he pointed and said, "that looks like Bill Weasley!"

"Bill?" Arianwen asked, "yes it may well be. Can you help me get him up to the Hospital Wing?" But just as she had asked, Professor McGonagall cried out in pain.

Neville looked torn so Arianwen made the decision for him. "Go! I'll manage!"

He nodded and ran at full pelt to assist his Head of House.

* * *

"Are you alright Harry?" Hermione Granger ran to Potter as he entered the Hospital Wing with the Weasley girl. The Death Eaters had fled the school and Arianwen was looking after Professor Flitwick and Neville who had both been injured in the battle, while Madam Pomfrey treated Bill.

"I'm fine… how's Bill?"

Nobody answered. Potter looked over Granger's shoulder and saw an unrecognisable face lying on Bill's pillow, so badly slashed and ripped that he looked grotesque. Madam Pomfrey was dabbing at his wounds with some harsh-smelling green ointment.

"Can't you fix them with a charm or something?" he asked the matron.

"No charm will work on these," said Madam Pomfrey. "We've tried everything we know but there is no cure for wereworlf bites."

"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," said Ron Weasley, who was gazing down into his brother's face as though he could somehow force him to mend just by staring. "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a-a real-?" He looked uncertainly at the middle aged, shabby looking man they referred to as 'Professor Lupin'.

"No, I don't think that Bill will be a true werewolf," said Lupin, "but that does not mean that there won't be some contamination. Those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely ever to heal fully, and Bill might have some, ah, wolfish characteristics from now on."

"Dumbledore might know something that'd work, though," Weasley said. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state-"

"Ron – Dumbledore's dead," said the Weasley girl.

Arianwen froze, horrified, her hands shaking as they rested on the cold cloth she'd been using to mop Neville's brow as he slept. _So that was it, the person that Draco had to kill…it was Dumbledore. That was who the Dark Mark above the Astronomy Tower was for._

"No!" Lupin looked wildly from the girl to Potter, as though hoping the latter might contradict her, but when Potter did not, Lupin collapsed into a chair beside Bill's bed, his hands over his face.

"How did he die?" whispered a woman called Tonks, a name Arianwen vaguely recognised as an estranged member of Draco's family. "How did it happen?"

"Snape killed him," said Potter, "I was there, I saw it. We arrived back on the Astronomy Tower because that's where the Mark was… Dumbledore was ill, he was weak, but I think he realised it was a trap when we heard footsteps running up the stairs. He immobilised me, I couldn't do anything, I was under the Invisibility Cloak – and then Malfoy came through the door and disarmed him-"

Arianwen's palms were cold and sweating as she listened in. _Could it really have been Snape that killed him?_

Granger clapped her hands to her mouth and Weasley groaned. Next to them, Luna Lovegood's mouth trembled and her eyes began to tear up.

"-more Death Eaters arrived –and then Snape – and Snape did it. The Avada Kedavra." Potter couldn't go on.

Madam Pomfrey burst into tears. Nobody paid her any attention except the youngest Weasley, who whispered, "Shh! Listen!"

Gulping, Madam Pomfrey pressed her fingers to her mouth, her eyes wide. Somewhere out in the darkness, a phoenix was singing in a way that no one had ever heard before: a stricken lament of terrible beauty. Arianwen didn't stop to appreciate it as the others did, however, so relieved was she that Draco wasn't a murderer. She laid her elbows on Neville's bed and covered her face with her hands, breathing deeply. Her movement drew their attention to her for the first time since Potter and his girlfriend had entered the Hospital Wing, and they didn't look pleased to see her.

Potter stepped forward, his wand raised and pointing straight at Arianwen. "Did you know?" he demanded severely. Their relationship, which had started out on fairly friendly terms had turned cold since he had duelled with Draco. "Did you know what Malfoy was planning? Were you in on it too?"

Weasley got to his feet and stood beside Potter, his wand also pointing at her. "Of course she knew," he said, regarding her with an expression of utmost disgust, "do you really think Malfoy wouldn't brag to his little girlfriend about it? You were right about him Harry, he really is part of the Death Eater scum."

"No!" Arianwen cried. "No he didn't tell me anything! I-I didn't – I wouldn't have let – if I knew I-I-" she tailed off, her entire body trembling. "He just said that I should stay in the common room tonight, and-and then he just left…I had no idea he was planning to let the Death Eaters in, I swear it!"

"Harry, Ron, put your wands down for pete's sake. She clearly didn't know, Malfoy was probably told he couldn't tell anyone! Didn't Moody say that he keeps his other followers in the dark about the tasks he gives them individually? This isn't helping anything!"

They lowered their wands slowly and Potter even mumbled a begrudging apology but then, from behind Arianwen, another angry voice spoke out.

"But you knew that he was a Death Eater, didn't you?" She turned around to face a gut wrenchingly betrayed looking Neville.

Arianwen bit her lip, she couldn't lie to him, he could see right through her. "Yes, but Neville, he's not like the others, he didn't want to be a Death Eater, he was forced-"

"You've seen what those foul people did to my parents. I thought you cared about them! How can you be with Malfoy when you know what he is?" Neville interrogated further.

"I do care about them!" she insisted desperately. "Neville, you know I do, I visit them every time we're off school! But Draco, he's-he's not like them, I promise he's not!" And then, in the most plaintive and defeated way she whispered, "I love him."

Neville's face softened as he beheld Arianwen. She looked so meek and small that he reached out and took her hand comfortingly.

"I'm sorry, I know it's not your fault."

The other people in the room looked away, as though they were imposing on an intimate scene. Luckily, Professor McGonagall entered and provided them with some distraction.

Neville looked at Arianwen awkwardly. "Are you okay?"

She knew what he was talking about, he'd seen Greyback assaulting her and even though he hadn't been able to get too far, it was enough to upset even the strongest of people.

"Yes," she said, more defiantly than she had planned.

But nothing was okay about the events of that night. Somewhere out there Leah had been killed at the hand of her uncle, Snape had murdered Dumbledore, and Draco had facilitated the entry of the Death Eaters into the school. Her happiness about winning her legal battle to inherit her father's lands and titles had most truly been marred and now all that was left was a feeling of all-consuming repulsion; at Draco, at her uncle, but mostly, she was repulsed by herself.

* * *

 **A/N: Pretty please leave a quick review to let me know how I'm doing! Constructive criticism is always welcome!**


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five: Sacrifice

**A/N:** Thank you sooo much to my angels ForeverTeamEdward13, alfieHewie, MissBlack2, and Jessie for reviewing. Also thanks to all my new followers/favouriters, I hope you're enjoying the random stuff that my brain has produced :)

Also just want to take a second to reflect on the terrible loss that has shaken everyone in Cardiff and The Vale today. RIP to Zoe and Lee, whose lives were taken too soon.

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Five: Sacrifice**

The end of the school year approached very quickly after the death of the Headmaster and, while most of the students and staff shared outward expressions of grief and fear, the atmosphere in Slytherin House was rather different.

Some of them, like Antaeus Carrow and Crabbe and Goyle, actually celebrated Dumbledore's death, unable to appreciate that doing so was somewhat in bad taste. Others were merely stunned that one Draco Malfoy had pulled off what they coined as 'Dumbledore's Downfall', though to Arianwen it felt more like cold blooded murder than a battle for supremacy between kings.

What Arinanwen thought was a different matter entirely. The reality that Draco was a Death Eater really hit home that night, she felt foolish that it had taken her so long to really come to grips with the notion but he'd done such a good job of hiding that side of his life from her that she was happy to look the other way. Only now she had to stop pretending.

 _Draco is a Death Eater,_ she reminded herself as she walked down the long pathway to his house. _You knew that at the beginning and you committed to stand by him…you can't leave him now._

 _But what would Father have thought?_

It came like a blow to the stomach when she realised that she didn't know the answer to that question, she was already losing touch with him. She shook her head violently, trying to get a grip on herself.

 _I'm the Duchess now, its time for me to live for me._

She rapped loudly on the Malfoys' front door and waited for an elf to answer. She had worn one of her new sets of robes for the occasion: it was a luxurious plum colour, made from a lightweight material with silver embroidery along the hem. It complimented the white Bardot summer dress that she was wearing underneath perfectly and she'd opted for a long fishtail plait, light smoky eye-shadow and white pointed court shoes; the effect was every bit the elegant Duchess.

A house elf showed her into the grand sitting room where Mr and Mrs Malfoy, the Lestrange brothers, Bellatrix, Snape and Draco were all gathered on various sofas, chaises and armchairs.

The men all stood as the house elf announced her presence and inclined in polite bows. Draco stepped forward and took her hand, kissing it as he had so many times before.

"Duchess," he greeted, in the usual slick, aristocratic tone. "How good of you to join us. I trust your journey was not too tiresome?"

She gazed into those steel grey eyes and felt her heart flutter as though she were meeting him for the very first time. She wanted to be angry, to tell him how hard it had been without him in school and what Greyback had tried to do to her, but all she felt was relief that he was still alive and well.

"Mr. Malfoy," she smiled prettily at him, "no, in fact the journey was quite pleasant. It seems your English weather was kind to me today."

Arianwen moved to greet the women in the room and then Mrs Malfoy introduced her to her husband. She did not curtsy to him as she may have done had she met him in the past, for her rank was now so elevated compared to his own that to do so would appear pitying. He greeted her politely enough but there was a cool, snooty air to him that Arianwen didn't appreciate.

She removed her cloak and gave it to the lingering house elf, before taking a seat beside Draco.

"May I be the first to compliment you on how radiant you look today, Duchess." Rabastan offered approvingly. "Draco tells me that you shall be coming of age this month; perhaps it won't be long before I have the privilege of calling you 'niece'."

Arianwen blushed and looked at Draco, who was shaking his head and laughing. "That is most kind of you to say, Mr. Lestrange, but as for a betrothal, I'm sure that I am not the right person to ask."

"Draco is far to young to be thinking about such things, Rabastan." Lucius demurred.

"We had been engaged for six months at their age, Lucius." Narcissa reminded him pointedly.

"A different age, clearly," Lucius said, "where marriage arrangements were handled in the _proper_ fashion; _our_ betrothal was contracted long in advance of our actual union, with plenty of time for the families to object, as is appropriate. Both the Parkinson and Greengrass families, for example, have been interested in Draco since his birth, and they are the most _respectable_ families. But, as I said, that was a different time. "

"Father!" Draco barked, fixing his father with a challenging gaze.

"You do not believe Welsh families to be respectable then, Mr. Malfoy?" Arianwen interjected with a dangerously polite smile.

The tension in the room hit an all time high as the others looked between Lucius and Arianwen. Bellatrix, the only one apparently enjoying the awkwardness, grinned and clapped her hands together.

"Perhaps the Duchess would like to see our new peacocks," Narcissa cut in before her husband could make any more rude comments. "Draco, why don't you take the Duchess for a turn about the gardens, so that she can see them?"

Draco nodded and stood up, offering his arm to Arianwen. "Yes, certainly. Your Grace?"

Arianwen, whose eyes were still firmly set on Lucius, eventually dragged them away and took Draco's arm, being sure to hold her head high and leave the room with more grace than any Parkinson or Greengrass could ever hope to achieve.

* * *

They had barely taken three steps outside before Draco hissed and clutched his left forearm, announcing that he had to go to the Dark Lord. Bellatrix and the other men came running out to the gardens to fetch him and they all quickly disapparated.

Once again, Arianwen was left to sit around and worry with Narcissa for hours on end, until eventually, figures started traipsing into the library where they waited.

Draco was the last to appear and was limping heavily, blood dripping onto the floor in a trail behind him.

"Draco!" Arianwen dashed over to where he'd managed to collapse on the nearest sofa. "You're bleeding! What happened?"

"Bloody Chimaera slashed me with its tail!" He grumbled, clutching his wounded leg.

"A Chimaera?" Arianwen asked, astounded. "What on earth were you doing around one of those?"

Draco merely shook his head. "You don't want to know," he grumbled.

"No," she agreed, "probably not." Chimaeras were both extremely rare and extremely dangerous due to both their physical attributes of a lion's head, goat's body and dragon's tail, and their bloodthirsty tendencies.

"Might I be of assistance, Duchess?" Snape interrupted, bending down beside Arianwen to get a look at Draco's leg.

"Uh yes, he'll need a blood replenishing potion," she squinted at his leg, "about eighty millilitres, and maybe three phials of Rabies Immunis."

Snape nodded and hastened to fetch the potions from his store at home.

"Take your trousers off, I need to get a look at your leg."

"Yes ma'am!" Draco managed a weak smile at her orders.

Arianwen could have sworn that she heard Lucius make an outraged remark along the lines of: "You see, Narcissa? The Welsh can never hide their vulgarity for long!" but she ignored him and instead started mopping blood away from his shin where the flesh had been marred so badly that his bone was visible.

"Oh this is useless!" She exclaimed, the sheer amount of blood making healing Draco's wound almost impossible without magic for she could barely see his leg through it all. "Where's your wand?"

As Draco was too drained to answer coherently, Mr. Malfoy decided to leap forward and cry, "you will not lay a finger on my son's wand, girl!"

"Mr. Malfoy," she spoke calmly but the expression on her face did not conceal her vexation, "I am still underage so if I use my own wand to heal your son and the Ministry decide to investigate the magic detected by the Trace on me, I could be expelled. I only want Draco's wand to help him!"

"Lucius, darling, why don't you come and sit down while Arianwen looks after Draco?" Narcissa posed it as a question but was already guiding him over to a chair on the other side of the room before he could refuse.

Arianwen found Draco's wand and made quick work of healing his leg. When she was satisfied that he wouldn't lose any more blood, she propped his back up with some cushions and carefully lifted his legs onto the sofa so that he could lie horizontally.

"Look," Narcissa whispered to her husband, "don't you see how she cares for him?"

Lucius watched silently as Arianwen stroked Draco's hair and bit her lip in an attempt to subdue its trembling. He watched his son smile at her touch and reach up to take her hand in his, he said something that Lucius couldn't hear but by Arianwen's gleaming smile it had to have been good. He grumbled something under his breath and Narcissa couldn't help but smile, Lucius had always been so protective of their son.

* * *

A while after Arianwen had retired to her bed for the night, Snape returned to the manor with the potions that Arianwen had requested and proceeded to administer them to Draco in the quantities that she had specified. Lucius and Narcissa were speaking in low voices on the other side of the room and Snape, who had been hoping for an opportunity to speak with Draco alone, took that moment as his chance.

"The Dark Lord will be pleased with your performance tonight, Draco."

Draco gave a derisive snort and raised a brow at him. "I doubt the Dark Lord will ever be pleased with my performance again after the Astronomy Tower."

"He let your father out did he not?"

Draco simply rolled his eyes in response.

"There is another way for your family to seek redemption," Snape said, his voice low so as not to draw the attention of Lucius and Narcissa.

"And you expect me to believe that you happen to know what that is?" Draco sneered.

The professor pursed his lips, Draco's recent trend of disdain towards him causing his patience to wear thin, but he continued nevertheless.

"As you know, the Dark Lord has been reaching out to various communities that he believes will aid him in this war-"

"I really don't have the energy to listen to you prattling on about things I'm already aware of, _Professor_." Draco interrupted, not bothering to stifle an exaggerated yawn with his hand.

"The Dark Lord," Snape pressed on, his voiced laced with pique, "has turned his attention to Wales, he has not forgotten how they refused to support him last time and if they do so again…he will take it by force."

It felt like Draco's heart was in his mouth, Arianwen would be in real danger if she refused his master. He didn't want to give away his fear to Snape though; he was the Dark Lord's right hand man and could easily be testing him. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because if Arianwen is appointed Warden of South Wales, our master will expect you to get her to join our ranks and if she refuses, as I think she may, she will face a fate worse than death." Snape's eyes bored into his own, he felt random thoughts and memories flash to the forefront of his mind, as if Snape were rifling through them, looking for something. He focused his energy into expelling Snape from his head as his Aunt Bella had taught him but it was too late.

"You love her, don't you?"

Draco hoisted his injured leg off the sofa and stood, he curled his fist around the collar of Snape's cloak and shook him, his eyes harsher than Snape had ever seen them. "You know nothing!" He spat vehemently.

"Draco!" Narcissa called from the other end of the room. "What on earth are you doing?"

He released Snape's robes with a shove and attempted to stalk out of the room but to his annoyance, Snape managed to grab his arm just in time. Draco turned back and locked eyes with his old professor; he must have caught him in some state of sudden vulnerability for he could read regret behind the eyes of a fractured soul. Finally, Draco understood the message Snape was trying to send him.

"End it."

* * *

Draco barely got any sleep that night and ended up rising earlier than everyone else to eat his breakfast alone. Afterwards, he retreated to the grand drawing room, where the pianoforte was situated, and began to play. He became so engrossed in the dramatic piece that he didn't hear Arianwen enter.

Just as the melody reached its climactic peak, it swirled back to a hushed, ethereal dance and Arianwen slipped onto the bench to the right of him to join him in a duet for the finish.

"Good morning," Arianwen spoke, as softly as the last note had been. "I didn't realise you were such an accomplished pianist, that was beautiful."

Draco smiled and gazed at her from the corner of his eye, she was truly a vision in a light, golden dress. He allowed his eyes to drink in every last detail of her; the delicacy of the dress somehow made her hair look even more luscious and full than usual, her eyes were looking down at her hands as they skipped over the enamel keys of the piano and her long lashes fluttered delicately with the movement of her eyes. His gaze moved to her lips, soft and full, he could almost taste their sweet vanilla and he knew he had to indulge himself one last time.

He placed his hands over hers to halt the energetic tune she was reciting. She followed him to the arched window overlooking the manor's gardens and allowed him to wrap his arms around her waist. She rested her head against his chest gently and he breathed in the scent of her hair, before lightly placing a few fingers beneath her chin and tilting her chin upwards. He couldn't bear to look into her unassuming eyes for too long, for the love she projected would surely break him. Instead, he gazed again at her lips and found himself moving closer until they were just touching.

Within a second, he had lost himself. Their lips melted together, the gentle caress of her tongue against his own caused his whole body to ache. He traced her cheekbones with his fingers, as though trying to etch the outline into his memory forever. It ended before he was willing, though their lips hovered mere millimetres apart as they drew air and she breathed, "Draco", in the most exquisite way he had ever heard.

He drew away from her quickly to hide the tears filling his eyes.

"Shall we sit?" he asked, his voice somehow confident and unwavering.

They sat across from each other, neither of them speaking until Arianwen, utterly confused, decided to break the silence.

"Are you alright? Something feels off."

Draco shrugged nonchalantly as he had planned the night before. "I had an interesting conversation with Father last night."

"Oh?" she prompted.

"He thinks it inappropriate for me to date someone who intends to have an occupation later in life. The wives of Malfoy men have always found their place in the home."

"I see," she said slowly, "and what do you think?"

"I agree."

He expected her to make a snappy retort as she usually did but was irritated to find that she actually found it amusing.

"Right, well I suppose we can discuss that in the future."

"We can? You would give up your vocation?" He tried to keep the surprise from his tone but clearly didn't succeed for she chuckled softly.

"I can't say I wouldn't be disappointed by it but I wouldn't leave you for a job."

He groaned inwardly. He had hoped that his goading would cause her to explode but he would have to try another tactic.

"Good. I would expect you to manage my household of course, prepare my meal plans, organise the elves-"

"Draco," she sat straighter in her seat, "I am one step away from _royalty_ , I am not some pet to be kept in your house. Besides, I have people to manage my estates, I see no reason why they couldn't manage yours as well."

He nodded slowly. She wasn't biting as he wanted her to. It was time to really twist in the knife.

"There is another problem…"

Arianwen sighed audibly. "And what, prey tell, is that?"

"I cannot take a wife who has been…spoiled."

Her mouth fell open in complete disbelief. "Spoiled? _You_ 'spoiled' me!"

He fixed her with a cold stare. "That is of little consequence, the fact of the matter is that you will not be a virgin on your wedding night. Perhaps you would consider taking a position as my mistress?"

"You have got to be joking," she cried, "where is this coming from? Don't you love me?"

"And the sickle drops!" he sneered, "I did wonder how long it would take you, I really had you twigged as being more intuitive but I suppose I'll just have to pay Goyle his winnings."

Arianwen stared at him, the shock preventing her anger from taking over just yet. "I don't believe you! Why are you doing this? I've seen the way you look at me, Draco! You've said you love me loads of times – this is bullshit, some kind of stupid joke – well I won't fall for it!"

"Hmm…pity." He ran his tongue over his lower lip for effect. "You seem so willing to fall into my bed and all I have to do is say 'I love you'."

"Stop it," she whispered, tears falling down her face.

"I'll admit you are a pretty good shag, but I reckon Astoria would be better-"

"STOP!" she screamed.

"I suppose I should let Goyle have a turn on you, it would be polite – seeing that he's the victor."

"No, no, no!" Arianwen stumbled backward, her hands trembling horribly as she wiped the tears from her eyes. All Draco wanted was to go to her, to encase her in his arms and tell her everything…but he had to protect her, she had to go.

"You've ruined me," she croaked. His heart wrenched so painfully at her words that he had to look away, he couldn't witness his perfect, beloved Arianwen so broken or he would never be able to leave her. She span around and ran from the manor as fast as her legs would take her, desperate to put some distance between herself and the man who had broken her heart.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six: The Vote

**A/N:** Wow, the reaction on the last chapter was fab! A massive thank you to ForeverTeamEdward13 who is always so quick to review, love you millions. Also a big thank you to my darlings MissBlack2, StarletSpotlight, Jessie and (last but DEFINITELY not least) Aurora. I must say that your idea (Aurora) for an alternative plotline for the Arianwen/Greyback scene had me like :O shoulda done that! I wish you had a account so you could share more of your suggestions with me :( (no pressure btw, I'm just being whiney).

Also just wanna say that I do not hate the English...so if my English readers are like *eye roll* stop crying about how 'oppressed' you are after this chapter, I can assure you that it is just a theme I wanted to play with for the story, not my actual opinion.

Anyway please read and enjoy, feedback is always super welcome!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Six: The Vote**

Arianwen stood behind a curtain at the edge of a stage, listening to the soft buzz of chatter in the audience and the whirling of the air around her hair as it wafted calmly in the sticky summer breeze; it was the 16th of August, Election Day. She had parted from Draco six weeks prior but it still felt like yesterday to her, she was broken.

Gwyn, Owain, Carwyn and Brianne had all rallied around her after the split, staying with her at night until they deemed her tired enough to fall asleep and then returning early the next day to check on her. She would have the same conversation with each of them the following morning, pretending to have had a pleasant nights sleep and promising them that she would be fine if they had to leave her, but then the second the door closed behind them she would break down.

"Arianwen!" Aneirin called as he approached her. "How are you feeling?"

He didn't need her to respond to understand how she felt, tension was radiating around her like the heat on the horizon of a hot day.

"You're going to have to fight for this Arianwen, Lord Gwydion won't make it easy for you. Do you know what you're going to say?"

"Of course I do," she snapped. "No one in their right mind would vote for a sympathiser of the 'Dark Lord'. They just need to be reminded of the type of man my uncle is."

Aneirin looked a little taken aback, Owain had told him about Draco and how she would often stare into space and tear up. He thought that she might need help with the speech she had to give to the Councillors, but he hadn't expected her to be so petulant. Aneirin had seen Arianwen at many pivotal points of her life; the first was her mother's funeral, next at her grandfather's bedside as his soul separated from its earthly attachments, then again at her father's funeral, at the gala where Dafydd announced he was going to send her away to Hogwarts, the day she found out that she had a cousin – one final family member that may love her as she so craved, and now, at the election event for Warden of the South. He had always admired how Arianwen had managed to keep up a smile through so many dark times, but when he saw her standing there, shoulders slumped, eyes fixed on the podium at the centre of the stage and her arms clutched close to her chest, he finally saw her for what she really was: frightened, broken and alone. The sight itself was enough to stir something in Aneirin, his cheeks grew hot as what felt like a gnarled hand tightened around his throat, forcing his eyes to moisten and yet burn at the same time.

He cleared his throat in a bleak attempt at composure and willed himself to carry on their conversation. "So if you're confident about what to say, why do you look so… tense?"

"It's just-" she sighed deeply. "It's just that when things have gone wrong in the past, I've always had someone there to save me; my Grandfather, my Father, Gwyn, Draco, and even you, Nei. There's always been someone there to hold my hand and tell me that everything is going to be okay, and it always was. But as the Warden I don't have anyone to turn to, I'm the one that has to make everything okay, I'm the one that is responsible for everyone else. I will be more alone and yet more crowded than I have ever been in my life and I can't help but wonder if I can truly handle it."

Aneirin placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and stared her straight in the eyes. "You may have had people to help you, Ri, but ultimately you are the one who has got yourself through it all. You're stronger than you know and you need to show that to everyone out there, you can't let them glean any sign of weakness from you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small photo, which he pressed into her hands. She smiled sadly at the little boy in the photo, whose inquisitive green eyes were watching her from his cot.

"Lloyd," she breathed.

"Keep this photo as a reminder of why you're doing this. You don't need protection anymore, Arianwen, I have witnessed you pull yourself through so much that I do not doubt for a _second_ that you are the Warden that Wales needs. You need to step up and win this election so that people like him," he jabbed a finger in the direction of Arianwen's uncle, who was mingling with the men in the crowd, "don't exploit us all for his own gains."

Arianwen gulped and nodded, his words giving her courage. She opened her mouth to respond but a loud voice interrupted her; it boomed across the grounds of Gregynog Hall, where the Duke of Montgomery was hosting the election. "Ladies and gentlemen, people of the press, Councillors; please take your seats. The speeches are about to commence."

Arianwen stared wide-eyed at Aneirin, who gripped her hand as a last show of support.

"I've got to go and take my seat," he started hurriedly, "but just remember to smile and shake hands with Lord Gwydion and everyone else. You must never let them know how hard a burden this is to bear."

"I will." Her voice was strong, her gaze resolute, _I can do this._

Aneirin flashed her a quick, reassuring smile before dashing away to take his place beside his father, the Duke of Gwynedd.

* * *

The announcer introduced Dafydd first, and he took his position behind a broad oak podium where a dragon with outstretched wings had been carved into its slanted stand. Arianwen took a seat to the left of the podium but still on stage so everyone could see her, she took a steadying breath and reminded herself to remain composed as Dafydd began.

"Prynhawn da, honourable friends. I have not come here today to waste your time with feeble attempts at morality, as I am sure the Duchess will do. I am ashamed to say that my niece has not been gifted with the sensibility, integrity, power or unbreakable will of my humble brother, may his soul rest in peace. My niece is slight: slight of frame, slight of mind, and slight of capacity. She shall not be your Warden, she shall be your downfall; the end of Welsh Independence as we know it. Her Grace would have you climb into bed with the English as she does."

There was a smattering of laughter in the crowd as all eyes focused on Arianwen. She fought to keep the blush that was creeping up her neck under control and feigned a look of complete innocence as her uncle continued on.

"-and I will deliver us to greatness, a greatness that our forefathers laid down their lives to provide us with. Under my hand, I will work with my fellow men, Montgomery, Gwynedd," he nodded to the other Wardens in turn, "and unite our country with that of our neighbours in the United Kingdom. We must join them to eradicate the tainted blood that threatens our community, and when we are victorious, we shall be rewarded with higher power and prosperity than we could ever begin to dream of. Join me, brothers, let us make Wales great again."

Arianwen could not help but scowl at the councillors who stood and clapped her uncle as he took his seat on the other side of the stage.

"-and now, please be upstanding for the Duchess of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire!"

It was time. She stared hard into her uncle's eyes, his upper lip curled into a sneer as he twirled his hand towards the podium in a mock bow, as though daring her to engage him in a duel, a bloodied battle to their death.

 _But that is what this is. A battle of life or death. Should I allow Uncle to gain this position, I am surely allowing him to ally us with the Dark Lord, to execute anyone that disobeys him and make servants of those who are too afraid to stand up and fight. I must win._

She stood on the podium, her hands resting on its stand and her eyes moving between each councillor in turn. Her gaze moved to the back of the crowd where Owain, Gwyn, Carwyn and Brianne were all watching her, smiling supportively; then to Aneirin who sat with his father, the Warden of the North, he nodded slowly at her, willing her to deliver a victory.

 _I can do this._

She took a long, steadying breath, straightened her shoulders and raised her chin; finally, she spoke:

"The Wardenship was created by our King, Owain Glyndwr, to defend Wales from the English incursion. And though he failed, the Wardens remained. During times of war, the Wardens have marshalled our great armies, they united us with the other peoples of our land: the dragons, the giants, the Fey.

Once again, war is coming.

The English no longer wish to simply rule us, they wish to dominate us, to crush our values and assimilate our culture; destroying our individuality, our proud heritage.

And this man-" she gestured to Dafydd, who was sneering at her patronisingly, "-would see this happen." He fixed her with an icy glare that would have intimidated her when she was younger, but not today.

"We must not be subjugated by the English any longer. We will stand alone surrounded by enemies, our friends in Scotland and Ireland have fallen to him.

I may only appear a young woman but within my veins flows the blood of a thousand generations of our countrymen, the same countrymen that I pledge to protect as Warden. Allow Wales the chance to be free of the tyranny that has conquered the rest of the British Isles. Elect me as your Warden and help me realise our true potential!"

There was a pause where Arianwen's heart was the only sound that could be heard but then a slow ripple of applause sounded, like the first wave crashing against the ocean signalling the beginning of a mighty storm. She watched as people slowly got to their feet, showing their support with cheers and chants of "Undeb, Hedd, Llywddiant!" – the moto of the Wardens, "Unity, Peace, Prosperity."

For the first time in a long time, Arianwen smiled, a true warm, hearty smile that spread all the way through her body like molten gold. She beamed down at her audience, which only spurred them on to clap harder, and cheer louder. Chancing a glance at her uncle, Arianwen saw him glaring at individuals in the audience, as though his stare could bend them to his will with more power than the Imperius Curse. Eventually, the announcer shouted above the crowd for order and Arianwen took her seat again, waiting nervously for the voting to start. When the applause had died down and the crowd was once again seated, the announcer called for the councillors to be upstanding to make their vote.

"Today we have just ten Councillors voting for whom they think should fill the role of Warden of South Wales, as the Duchess of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire is standing for election, her vote today is exempt. Protocol dictates that if we have a tie then the deciding vote is granted to the Councillors of the region in question. We shall begin with the Councillors of the South, then Mid-Wales, and finally the North." There were nods of understanding amongst the men waiting to cast their votes.

"Good luck to both candidates," the announcer gave a brief smile to Arianwen and Dafydd respectively. "Let us commence! Earl Monmouthshire of House Bedwyr, how do you cast your vote?"

Gwyn's dad pointed his wand in the air and called, "I vote to elect the Duchess of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire as Warden." A long golden ribbon flew from the tip of his wand and tied itself neatly around Arianwen's wrist. He winked at her and smiled warmly, there was never any doubt that Gwyn's father would vote for her but his support was still touching nevertheless.

"Earl Glamorganshire of House Conway!" The announcer called, signifying the only other Councillor of South Wales to cast his vote.

"I vote to elect the Duchess." Earl Conway held his wand in the air and out flew another ribbon, which tied itself promptly around Arianwen's wrist. She smiled gratefully at the Earl who returned the smile with a nod.

 _I have the votes of the South, so if there is a tie, I'll win!_ Arianwen thought excitedly. _The election is not won yet though. Focus._

Marquess Brecknockshire of House Howell was next to vote, and like the others, he pledged his support to Arianwen. She now had three ribbons around her wrist, while her uncle had none.

"Earl Cardiganshire of House Parry."

 _We have always had a strong alliance with the Parry's, this'll be another easy one._

"I vote to elect Lord Gwydion as Warden of the South." Arianwen stared in horror at the ribbon now tying itself around her uncle's wrist, she had been so sure that Parry would want to elect her, he had been on such good terms with her father.

 _But you're not Father. The Parry's are traditionalists, they would never want a woman in power,_ she thought bitterly, trying to ignore the smug look on her uncle's face.

The next Councillor, the Earl of Radnorshire, also voted for Dafydd, causing Arianwen's heartbeat to quicken beyond an acceptable level, she would surely have a fit if it continued.

"Duke Montgomeryshire of House Llywelyn, Warden of Mid-Wales!" The announcer called and Arianwen held her breath as the Duke pointed his wand to the sky. He looked her firmly in the eyes and said, "I vote to elect Duchess Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire."

She let out her breath and managed a small smile to the Duke, who nodded at her firmly. Arianwen now had four ribbons around her wrist while her uncle had two but with four more Councillors to vote, the election could swing either way.

It was no surprise to Arianwen when Flintshire voted against her, as he had been so keen in reminding her of his bosom buddy friendship with her uncle in the past, but when Earl Merrick of Denbighshire and the Duke of Anglesey voted for her uncle as well she couldn't hide the glimmer of betrayal in her eyes.

Dafydd now had five ribbons around his wrist, one more than she did, but if Aneirin's father, the Duke of Gwynedd, voted for her she would win as the votes of the South would decide the tie break.

The Duke looked between Arianwen and Dafydd slowly, as though still making up his mind but when he raised his wand in the air, he spoke with unwavering conviction. "I vote to elect Lord Gwydion as Warden of South Wales."

 _What?_ Arianwen could barely breathe, think or hear a thing as she stared, dumbfounded at the Duke.

"TRAITOR!" The Warden of Mid-Wales roared, pointing his wand directly at Aneirin's father's chest.

The Duke of Gwynedd was quick to retaliate, his own wand now pointing at Montgomery.

"Gentlemen!" the announcer squeaked, horrified. "Gentlemen please! I call for decorum! Decorum, I say!"

Arianwen couldn't help but look over at Aneirin, her friend whose father had betrayed her; he stood in shock but did not bother to defend his father, instead a growing look of disgust was contorting his usually smooth skin.

" _Sit down_ , Father," he spat, wrenching his wand arm down so that he no longer posed a threat to the other Warden. He looked up at Arianwen shamefacedly but she looked away, unable to hold his gaze for fear of lashing out.

The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur. The only thing she could focus on was Gwynedd's vote; he could have saved her, put the vote to a tie so the South could take authority… but he didn't, he chose her uncle, the despicable man who was already under Lord Voldemort's thumb, over her. She had lost: six votes to four.

When the moment came for Arianwen to congratulate the victor, she forced herself to remain composed, an air of dignified grace to her stance as she clasped hands with her uncle.

"Congratulations," she said in a voice so low that only he would hear, "you have succeeded in befogging their judiciousness for long enough to scrape a win."

"Jealousy isn't a good colour on you, Niece. Didn't my _dear_ brother ever teach you the qualities of good sportsmanship?"

Arianwen gritted her teeth and made to move away but her uncle dug his nails into her hand, his mouth twisted in a sick grin as her dared her to yelp in pain. She did not. She would not allow him another victory today.

"I know you have the boy," Dafydd snarled, "you can't keep him from me for much longer, he is of interest to someone much more powerful than you or I."

Arianwen felt a chill climb up her spine at the words; _he's already offered the baby to the Dark Lord? But what would he want him for at this age?_

Dafydd laughed sourly at Arianwen's expression, which was sore with revulsion as she glared at her uncle. "Give me the child, Arianwen, and you need not get hurt."

Arianwen dug her nails into her uncle's hand, not flinching as his grip on her tightened in retaliation and he started to draw blood. Her mouth curled into a grin, abhorrent enough to match his own.

"I will never give him up to you," she whispered, yanking her arm away and marching off the stage to a point where she could disapparate.

* * *

 _My dearest Duchess,_

 _I heard about the result of the election, I'm so sorry darling, I hope you are not too disheartened. I know this may seem a little odd considering your current relations with my son but I would most like to take you on holiday as I suggested earlier in the year. Our estate in Monaco really is wonderful, I have a feeling you would love it and I promise it would just be us girls. What do you say?_

 _Let me know as soon as you can, I will be leaving tomorrow morning._

 _Kind regards,_

 _Narcissa M._

* * *

 _Dear Narcissa,_

 _Thank you kindly for furthering your previous invitation and for thinking of me at this time. I would be most pleased to take you up on your offer and shall be in Monte Carlo at nine o'clock sharp._

 _With anticipation,_

 _Arianwen._

* * *

 _A few days later…_

"I'm so glad you came," Mrs Malfoy said softly, smiling at Arianwen from her comfortable armchair overlooking the Malfoy's vineyard in Monaco in the French Riviera.

Arianwen smiled. She'd had a surprisingly easy day with Narcissa, who seemed incredibly happy to have her there considering everything that had happened with Draco. They started with lunch at an exclusive restaurant in a picturesque town on Le Rocher peninsula, the same area that their expansive estate and luxury villa was located. Narcissa then took Arianwen to an art exhibition at a cliffside gallery with glorious panoramic views of the sea where they enjoyed a few more glasses of champagne than was strictly polite. By the time they had finished their evening meal and settled in the armchairs on the balcony off the master bedroom, both women were feeling pleasantly inebriated and willing to overindulge each other with personal information.

"Thank you for allowing me," Arianwen said, sipping her wine and shuffling back in her chair.

The two women sat in comfortable silence for a while, both content just staring out over the vineyard and losing themselves in their thoughts. When Mrs Malfoy eventually broke the silence her voice was laced with great sadness and regret.

"Draco wouldn't tell me why he stopped courting you. He doesn't tell me anything anymore. Sometimes I think…" her voice waivered as she tried to reach the end of her sentence. "Sometimes I think that he blames me."

"Blames you?" Arianwen asked gently. "What ever for?"

"For everything. His father being sent away, him having to take the Dark Mark, having to kill-" her voice cracked as she let out a dry sob.

Arianwen was shocked, she had never expected Mrs Malfoy to become so undone before her. She reached over and took her hand, waiting for the older witch to dab at her eyes with a handkerchief.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed, "I should be more composed."

"No," Arianwen said, her voice gentle, "there is no need for composure among friends."

Narcissa let out a small laugh despite her anguish and smiled gratefully at her.

"Besides," Arianwen continued, "I happen to know that Draco loves you and your husband more than anything else in this world. If he does not confide in you, it is because he feels he should shoulder his burdens alone – to protect you. He definitely does not blame you either, I think he has accepted his situation now, even if he does not like it. He will do anything in his power to protect the people he loves; I always liked that about him."

Narcissa gazed, mouth slightly agape in surprise of Arianwen's insightful admission.

 _Ucgh. I shouldn't have said so much._

"Do you love him?" Narcissa asked and Arianwen froze, but when she met Narcissa's eyes she could see no mocking or judgement, merely understanding.

"Yes," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.

"But he did not love you?" Narcissa probed, careful to keep hold of Arianwen's hand for reassurance. The younger woman simply shook her head, unable to speak through the tears that were threatening to break from their enclosure.

Narcissa nodded slowly, as though finally piecing together the last of a difficult puzzle. "I wish he loved you," she whispered.

"Me too." Hot tears began to roll down her cheeks as they had so frequently over the six weeks past, but Narcissa was there to wipe them away; she moved so that she was tucked in close to Arianwen on her chair and put an arm around her comfortingly. Arianwen rested her head on her shoulder, the slow breathing of the older woman soothing her instantly. Narcissa stroked her hair tenderly, trying to hide the tears brimming in her own eyes.

"I always wanted a daughter," she mused after a while, "but Lucius was only interested in having an heir so I put all my energy into loving Draco when he was born. Not that it was hard of course, but I did always wonder what it would have been like."

Arianwen nodded slowly, strangely content in the embrace of her ex-boyfriend's mother.

"I would have liked her to be like you," she brooded, "perhaps if I had known you better when you were younger, when you needed a mother?" It was said like a question, like she was asking for permission to love Arianwen as her own.

"I will always need a mother," Arianwen said quietly, smiling sadly at the woman who so desperately wanted to be needed, just as she wanted to be loved.

Narcissa made an odd noise, like a cry of delight and despair all at once. She held Arianwen tight in her arms and kissed her forehead affectionately. It was as though they had reached an agreement that they needed each other and had vowed to love despite their unusual circumstances.

* * *

 _In Wiltshire…_

"Where is your mother?" Lucius demanded of Draco at lunch the next day. He'd just returned from a mission in Bulgaria for the Dark Lord, where he'd been out of reach for the past fortnight.

Draco sighed, his father looked like crap, if he was honest. His hair was limp and dull, a drastic change from the lustre it used to carry, and the skin around his eyes was sunken and grey, making the man look as though he hadn't seen sunlight for a long time.

 _He probably hasn't_ , Draco mused bitterly. The Dark Lord had been giving him and his father a mix of the worst missions, sending them away to dark, rat-infested hovels to liaise with whichever magical beast was the flavour of the month. It was clear that he was making an example of them, he had taken away Lucius' wand and refused to allow either Malfoy to take part in any real fighting or mission of true importance; not that Draco could really say he minded not having to slaughter a bunch of muggles.

"How should I know where she is? I only got back yesterday."

Clearly this was not a satisfactory answer for Lucius, he growled, his patience wearing thin almost instantly. Biting back a snappy retort, Lucius let out a long breath through his nose and tried again.

"Well did she leave a note?"

Draco merely shrugged and returned his attention to a slightly out-of-date copy of the Daily Prophet, where he had watched Arianwen at the election for the wardenship of South Wales three times in a row already. A Prophet reporter had filmed the event and so all Draco had to do to watch it was tap the paper with his wand and mutter, "Procurro", and it would project a little image of the event for him to watch. His stomach dropped as he noted her appearance, to an outsider she may appear collected, elegant, and everything that you would expect a woman of her calibre to look like, but Draco knew her better. He could see the subtle slump in her shoulders when someone voted against her, the hopeful glimmer in her eyes when the audience cheered for her speech, the way she bit the inside of her cheek to prevent the tears that wanted to escape when that Aneirin guy's father betrayed her. He didn't miss how she stared dejectedly at her hands as she left the stage, or the way her lip had quivered when Lord Gwydion had mentioned their relationship and the crowd had laughed along nastily. Draco knew she needed him, he knew that if he went to her now she would forgive the horrible things he had had to say to make her leave…but he couldn't.

 _She is better off without me._

"ELF!" Lucius roared, disrupting Draco's thoughts. "WHERE IS MY WIFE?"

Draco hadn't even noticed the elf come into the room; he was standing slightly hunched over, clearly afraid that Mr Malfoy would hit him.

"M-m-mistress is on holiday, Mr Mafloy sir."

 _Ooof shouldn't have said that, Elf._

Lucius' nostrils flared violently, giving him the appearance of a bull that was ready to charge. "And where precisely," he seethed, "has she decided to holiday?"

"Uh-uh…" the elf looked positively terrified at this point, "M-m-mistress forbade Berrie to say anything, sir!"

Lucius snapped. He kicked the elf square in the chest and before Berrie had a chance to get back to his feet, Lucius grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and had pulled a knife on him.

" _I_ am your master, Elf. Now tell me – Where. Is. My. Wife?"

"Monaco, Mr Malfoy sir." Draco couldn't help but scoff at the stupid elf, his mother would be furious when she found out how quickly he gave up her whereabouts.

 _Clearly she does not wish to be found. Not that Father will respect her choice-_

"Draco!" Lucius barked, throwing the elf to the floor where it quickly scuttled to the corner of the room and out of reach. "We're going to Monaco."

* * *

 **A/N: up next is Draco and Arianwen's meeting in Monaco, I wonder how that will go... I WILL UPDATE FASTER I PROMISE! Don't forget to review/favourite/follow - I'd love to get to 100 followers by the next update!**


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Duplicity

**A/N: Yay Rosa Scarsz Cruz - you're my 100th follower! Thank you to everyone else who favourited/followed, you are wonderful humans and I adore you all!**

 **Thanks as always to my beautiful little pumpkin pasties ForeverTeamEdward13 and alfieHewie for reviewing :)**

 **In case anyone was wondering, I expect this story to have around ten more chapters until it ends, possibly less...so enjoy while you can!**

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Seven: Duplicity**

Draco dragged his feet behind his Father who was marching through their villa with so much haste that when he pushed open a door it would reverberate off the wall and come smashing back in Draco's face as he followed. After this happened for a third time in a row, he reluctantly skipped to catch up with Lucius, hissing as an injury from his most recent mission reopened slightly at his side.

"Why are we following mother about?" Draco called after his father irritatedly, coming to a halt back in the hall where they had started their search. "She clearly doesn't want to be found-"

" _That,"_ Lucius started dangerously, "is precisely why we are looking for her. It is most unlike your mother to just leave without warning-"

Lucius' panic was interrupted by a loud giggle from outside. He motioned for Draco to pull out his wand and crept carefully down the cool stone steps to the poolside.

Draco couldn't help but wonder what his father was thinking. _Does he suspect that Mother is with another man?_

He didn't have to wonder for long though, for when they emerged through the netted curtains covering the French doors, he saw two women; his mother and…

"Arianwen!" He blurted out, instantly regretting his carelessness as both women jumped and span around to look at the intruders.

Her tanned complexion visibly paled when she saw him and her eyes widened, he felt his insides curdling as it dawned on him that she was terrified.

 _She's afraid of me._

He stood stock-still, unable to muster up any words to ease the tension. Lucius took the silence to his advantage and addressed his wife, who had not moved to greet him.

"Narcissa, may I have a word with you alone?"

Narcissa looked between her son and Arianwen, evidently not wanting to leave them alone together. "Must it be now?"

"Yes it must," He said evenly, his temper barely at bay. Narcissa shot Arianwen a deeply apologetic look but conceded to her husband and followed him back into the villa.

Despite every fibre of his will pleading against it, Draco's eyes moved slowly down Arianwen's body, drinking in every inch of her bikini-clad form. He gulped as he noticed how her hips had become so much more shapely since he had last seen her like this. He could see her moving towards him but didn't move away, not even when she lifted the corner of his shirt and her fingers brushed against his skin. It heated rapidly with her touch; his body knew he should be with her even if his mind wouldn't allow it. He fought to control the desperate urge to grab her and hold her against his body, to end both their misery.

 _But I can't,_ he reminded himself, _you can't be together._

He forced himself back into reality and realised she was examining his re-opened scar, which had bled through his shirt and alerted her to its presence. Reaching forward suddenly, Draco wrenched Arianwen's hands away as though her skin were diseased.

She gasped at the force of his action and squeaked, "you're bleeding!"

"It's nothing that concerns you," he snarled, adjusting his robe to cover the stained area despite the thirty-degree heat.

"Right," Arianwen said bitterly, "how foolish of me, actually caring."

"It _is_ foolish," he growled, attempting to convey his disgust without actually looking her in the eye, "I have given you no reason to care for me, yet you insist on invading my space. You don't belong here, holidaying with my mother! It's-it's-" he looked around wildly for an adjective to describe the scenario. _Incredibly endearing? Selfless? So unbearably sweet and Arianwen-like?_ "It's pathetic."

" _You_ are pathetic. You couldn't even get your little flock to follow you, how disappointed your father would have been-"

SMACK! Arianwen slapped him hard across the cheek and in his shock he forgot himself and looked into her eyes.

As soon as he had, he wished he hadn't. The woman he loved was glaring at him with so much venomous animosity that he felt the need to visibly shrink himself. _You had to do it,_ he reminded himself as he braced himself for another blow, _she has to hate you._

"Don't you _dare_ assume to know _anything_ about my father." Her hand was shaking violently but she didn't seem to want to strike him again, instead her eyes filled with angry tears and she staggered away from him.

"I can hardly look at you, I can hardly look at what you've become-"

"THEN DON'T!" Draco roared.

"I HAVE TO!" She screamed back. "I HAVE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY GOODNESS LEFT IN YOU, DRACO!"

She shuddered back a sob as his stare became excruciatingly cold and intense.

"And what do you see?" He didn't know why he asked it, but he had. Some part of him had to know if she could detect the love behind his loathsome words…but she couldn't. The tears falling down her cheeks confirmed it all.

"I see the man who is willing to sell me to his friends. Who would allow them to-to _use_ me however they please," Draco let out a foul laugh to complete his piece and as he did so a small gasp alerted the teens to Mrs Malfoy's presence. Neither knew how long she had been standing there, clinging to Lucius' arm for support as she looked upon her son with such horror that he might have just murdered a child in front of them.

"You are abhorrent, Draco Malfoy." It was barely even a whisper but Draco could detect every ounce of suffering behind it.

Arianwen wrapped her arms around herself and hurried into the villa, causing his mother to run after her pitifully.

* * *

"Arianwen!" Narcissa called. "Arianwen darling, wait!"

Out of respect for Mrs Malfoy, Arianwen stopped and turned to face Draco's mother with as much composure as she could muster.

"I-I had no idea, Draco he-I didn't teach him to be so-"

"Narcissa," Arianwen said gently, placing a hand over the older woman's, "I do not blame you for an instant."

This only seemed to trouble Narcissa further, like she couldn't fathom how Arianwen was able to be so forgiving. "I have told Lucius that they are to go home. They're just staying for tonight and then I promise they will leave us in peace for the rest of this trip. So _please_ ," she gripped Arianwen's hand harder for emphasis, "please don't leave."

 _She is asking far too much of me._

 _It's not her fault he's here. She didn't know anything, he didn't tell her anything!_

 _I'll only get hurt around these people. Draco was right, I am being foolish._

 _No! She needs me, I won't leave!_

"I'll stay," Arianwen announced firmly, silencing the battle of opinions in her head.

Narcissa breathed a long sigh of relief and wrapped Arianwen in a tight hug before suggesting she go and take a lie down before dinner.

* * *

Once she was safely shut inside her room, Arianwen changed into her nightgown and collapsed on the bed. It was so soft and welcoming, assuring her that she could forget about everything for a few wonderful hours; she happily succumbed to its temptation and her eyelids had just become heavy when a loud tapping at the window reminded her of her distinct lack of luck.

"For fuck's sake!" She allowed an owl to fly importantly into the room and untied a finely penned envelope from its leg.

"Aneirin," she said with a sigh, "what can he possibly have to say to me?"

 _Dearest Duchess,_

 _I owe you so much more than this letter, I know that, but you are gone. Your friends refuse to tell me where I can find you and in all honesty, I don't blame them. Please understand that I have always been, and always will be, on your side. I implore you to note that I am not my father, his actions will not rule me and if it comes to it-_

There was an odd squiggly string of words next that had been written so shakily they were ineligible. It seemed that Aneirin had realised this though, for he had struck through them and started again underneath.

 _If it comes to it, I will choose you. I know that you will think that was a bold statement and that I am just using pretty words to flatter you into forgiveness but please allow me to explain further._

 _I have no idea how but your uncle found out about my relationship with Huw. He wasted no time in confiding this information in my mother and threatened to out me if she did not comply with his demands. Lord Gwydion demanded that my mother use her leverage with my father to turn him against you. I am saddened to say that it worked, as you well know. My mother is more afraid of having a gay son than she is of being ruled by the Dark Lord and the despicable creatures that follow him. In the same vain, my father fears having a woman as Warden more than he fears empowering your uncle, a murderer._

 _You may understand now why I vow my loyalty to you. You: sweet, unassuming, wonderful, Arianwen Gwydion, have been a better friend to me than my own blood. You did not cast me away when you discovered my true nature and I have never truly thanked you for I am not as good as you, nor could I ever be, but I will take this opportunity to try; thank you, Arianwen, for seeing me for who I am and not trying to change me._

 _I am aware that after reading all of this, you may still not wish to continue a friendship with me and if that is so, I expect you shall want Lloyd back. I promise you that I have kept him safe and will continue to do so for as long as you allow me. Please let me know your wishes in your reply and Arianwen – please forgive me of my father's betrayal._

 _Sincerely yours,_

 _Aneirin._

Arianwen reread the letter three times before she eventually destroyed it, a necessity to ensure that no one would discover that Aneirin was safeguarding her nephew. The owl, who had not flown back out of the open window after Arianwen had relieved it of its message, hooted softly. She smiled slightly and stroked its regal head with the back of her fingers.

"Are you wondering if I will forgive him?"

The owl hooted the affirmative.

"Then you will know that there is nothing to forgive. I love my dear Lord Aneirin unconditionally, there is nothing to forgive."

Draco, who had been listening at the door ever since he heard Arianwen talking to someone, swallowed back his tears and tried not to focus on the painful swelling in his chest. He had tried to blindly forget why he loved her while they were apart; it was the only way he could carry on, to pretend that the qualities he adored in her were just a figment of his imagination. He couldn't forget anymore.

* * *

Something about dining with her ex-boyfriend and his family at an intimate restaurant in Monaco made Arianwen feel a little awkward. At least Narcissa was there to strike up some conversation.

"Arianwen, darling, there's a beautiful coastal path that I thought I might show you tomorrow, we could even take some of the horses if you like?"

Arianwen smiled warmly at Narcissa, earning herself a scowl from Lucius and a typically unreadable stare from Draco.

"Why yes, that sounds lovely! Thank you, I am rather fo-"

"Anneliese!" A shout from the opposite side of the restaurant startled her and she looked over Narcissa's shoulder to see an elderly woman trying to break through the grasp of a middle aged man who appeared to be her son.

"Anneliese, mon petale!" The woman shrieked again, trying desperately to break through the man's grasp and approach Arianwen.

"What on earth?" Lucius muttered. "Who is that mad woman?"

Arianwen knew exactly who she was but didn't bother to offer an explanation, she simply opened her arms and allowed the woman to embrace her.

"My petal, how different you look! I almost didn't recognise you," the woman gushed in French as she kissed Arianwen on each cheek affectionately.

"Mother!" The middle aged man called, trying to prise his mother from Arianwen's side. "I'm sorry," he shook his head at them apologetically, "she's got dementia, thinks you're someone she used to teach."

"Madam Dubois," Arianwen breathed, ignoring the woman's son. For a few minutes the two women just beheld one another, each with a nostalgic smile on their face.

The elderly woman looked beyond Arianwen, her eyes falling upon Draco, who looked back curiously.

"This must be the Duke, Dewi is it? Your husband?"

Arianwen looked at Draco in panic and saw the realisation dawn on him, he would tell the governess that it was all a lie and she would get agitated as most dementia sufferers did when they realised that they weren't in familiar surroundings.

"That's right," Draco said smoothly, causing Arianwen's mouth to fall agape. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my wife has told me so many wonderful things about you."

The woman clapped her hands together in delight. "What a charming couple you make!" She moved her head around the table, as though looking for someone else. "And your baby, Arianwen? Is she not with you? I would just love to meet her!"

"Um…well-"

"-She's at home," Draco covered, ignoring the perplexed expressions on each of his parent's faces.

"That's a shame," the woman said, looking crestfallen. "You must be so proud. She's a true beauty, from what I've heard?"

Arianwen blinked back tears, quickly gulping some water to compose herself.

"Yes," Draco agreed softly, "she's an angel."

Arianwen's breath caught on the painful lump growing in her throat. She stared at Draco, her eyes wide and hopeful, but he refused to meet her gaze, his own eyes fixed on the elderly lady.

 _He doesn't mean it,_ she told herself, _he's just playing along._

"Mother come along, you've disturbed these people enough. Its time to go home." Her son insisted, looking at his mother with the utmost disdain.

The woman nodded at her son but didn't move, instead she turned back to Draco and stared imploringly into his eyes.

"You will look after her, won't you?"

Draco paused for a moment, and Arianwen could feel her heart beating so heavily that she was sure that half the people in the restaurant would be able to hear it.

"Toujours," he agreed.

Madam Dubois seemed satisfied with him and, after placing a few more kisses on Arianwen's cheeks, departed with her son.

Arianwen didn't know quite what to think. _How can he say that he'll always look after me if he doesn't even want to be with me? Once I go back to home, we may never see each other again…_

 _Could this all be a façade? Is it possible that he may still care about me, even just a little?_

She chanced a glance at Draco and found him watching her, though he frowned when she caught him and slammed the glass he had been holding onto the table.

"I'm going back," he announced sharply. He pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and shoved it at Arianwen, who hadn't even noticed the tear rolling down her cheek. "Control yourself," he snarled with such force that she nearly fell backwards in her seat.

As she watched him retreat from the restaurant, her hand curled over the handkerchief. _Draco Malfoy does not care about you, let him go._

* * *

Narcissa's heels clicked loudly against the hard floor as she walked through the villa to Draco's bedroom. She sensed the sorrowfulness from her son when he abandoned the restaurant and for the first time considered the idea that Draco might not think as unfavourably of Arianwen as he wished them all to believe. Her suspicion was confirmed when she saw him cradling his head in his hands, a crumpled photograph of him and Arianwen lying on the floor beside him.

"Draco?" Narcissa called gently, snaking her arm around her son and allowing him to lean on her. He seemed content to simply sit there and accept her comfort in silence but Narcissa was not. She wanted answers.

She leant forward and picked up the photograph from the floor. It was a lovely scene, Arianwen and Draco where huddled up in scarves and hats and while they were covered in a thick, fluffy blanket, it was obvious that they were still freezing. Narcissa couldn't help but smile as she watched Arianwen nuzzle her nose into Draco's neck, especially as she saw the look on his face as he cuddled her closer to him, proud that he was the one providing her warmth. It may seem like a simple photo to some but it spoke volumes to Narcissa.

"My darling boy," Narcissa said soothingly, brushing Draco's hair from his face. "It is okay to love her, you needn't shun your feelings like this. It's not as though she's some half-breed-"

"I can't love her," Draco croaked.

Narcissa furrowed her brow in confusion. "What do you mean? You have tried but you can't summon enough affection for her?"

"No!" He snapped, pulling away from his mother's embrace and scowling. "I _can't_ love her. She won't be safe with me."

"Oh," was all Narcissa could manage, unable to contradict her son.

"Don't tell Father."

Narcissa nearly laughed, it seemed such a ludicrous thing to worry about when there was so much more going on. "Why ever not? Because he doesn't like the Welsh? Draco, there is really no need not to-"

"Just do not tell him."

She was about to tell her son to stop being so ridiculous when an urgent banging sounded against the window in Draco's room. "What in Merlin's name?" Narcissa opened the window to allow an owl to swoop in and drop a bright red letter into her hands. It was addressed to Arianwen. She called loudly for Arianwen to enter and a few minutes later the younger blonde appeared, looking incredibly awkward to be in her son's bedroom.

"Is that?" Arianwen questioned.

"A howler yes, for you dear," Narcissa finished, quickly pressing the envelope into her hands.

Before Arianwen could even pop open the seal, the envelope exploded and the deep, commanding voice of the Duke of Montgomeryshire, the Warden of Mid Wales, shouted urgently:

"DUCHESS! DEATH EATERS IN THE GORGE AT CADAIR BERWYN! MANY HAVE FALLEN…MAKE HASTE!"

Arianwen did not waste a second in drawing her wand on the two Malfoy's in the room.

"How could you?!" She screamed, causing Lucius to run into the room and dive at Arianwen to bring her down. She deflected him easily as the Dark Lord had taken his wand, and bound him with ropes conjured rapidly from her wand.

"NO!" Draco shouted, trying to move closer to Arianwen in a desperate bid to make her listen. "No, you don't understand!"

"I UNDERSTAND PERFECTLY!" She roared. "You mean to distract me while your comrades slaughter my people!"

Draco tried to grab her shoulders, to shake her, to will her to believe him.

"BACK OFF!" She screamed. "PROTEGO!"

The force of colliding with her shield charm sent Draco flying backwards, giving Arianwen the chance she needed to flee the villa and apparate to the heart of the battle. Her blood turned cold when she realised whom Montgomery was referring to as the many that had fallen.

* * *

 **A/N: please do not hesitate to ask me any questions about this fic via PM or review, and please do share your opinions with me via that wonderful little review button...you know you want to!**


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight: Proclamation

**A/N:** I'M BAAAAAAACK! Hello my lovelies, I'm sorry that we've been apart for so long - please don't hate me! I've been writing so many dull essays that I just haven't been able to think creatively for a while. But now that I haven't got any more due for a while, I'm going to devote some much needed love and attention to this story.

Thank you soooooooosooooooo much to everyone who has stuck with me this far and to the following people for your kind reviews and PMs since the last chapter, I honestly might have given up if it wasn't for you beauties:

alfieHewie, addyliners, MissBlack2, DracoMalfoysSecretWife, PorcelainPuppetLady, Snowgirl7589, Guest, Aurora, Tinsela, InsaneXPrincess, ImsebastianstanButter, Guest, Guest, and Guest again! **I love you all, thank you!**

* * *

 ** _Now for a little reminder of where we left off:_**

"My darling boy," Narcissa said soothingly, brushing Draco's hair from his face. "It is okay to love her, you needn't shun your feelings like this. It's not as though she's some half-breed-"

"I can't love her," Draco croaked.

Narcissa furrowed her brow in confusion. "What do you mean? You have tried but you can't summon enough affection for her?"

"No!" He snapped, pulling away from his mother's embrace and scowling. "I _can't_ love her. She won't be safe with me."

"Oh," was all Narcissa could manage, unable to contradict her son.

"Don't tell Father."

Narcissa nearly laughed, it seemed such a ludicrous thing to worry about when there was so much more going on. "Why ever not? Because he doesn't like the Welsh? Draco, there is really no need not to-"

"Just do not tell him."

She was about to tell her son to stop being so ridiculous when an urgent banging sounded against the window in Draco's room. "What in Merlin's name?" Narcissa opened the window to allow an owl to swoop in and drop a bright red letter into her hands. It was addressed to Arianwen. She called loudly for Arianwen to enter and a few minutes later the younger blonde appeared, looking incredibly awkward to be in her son's bedroom.

"Is that?" Arianwen questioned.

"A howler yes, for you dear," Narcissa finished, quickly pressing the envelope into her hands.

Before Arianwen could even pop open the seal, the envelope exploded and the deep, commanding voice of the Duke of Montgomeryshire, the Warden of Mid Wales, shouted urgently:

"DUCHESS! DEATH EATERS IN THE GORGE AT CADAIR BERWYN! MANY HAVE FALLEN…MAKE HASTE!"

Arianwen did not waste a second in drawing her wand on the two Malfoy's in the room.

"How could you?!" She screamed, causing Lucius to run into the room and dive at Arianwen to bring her down. She deflected him easily as the Dark Lord had taken his wand, and bound him with ropes conjured rapidly from her wand.

"NO!" Draco shouted, trying to move closer to Arianwen in a desperate bid to make her listen. "No, you don't understand!"

"I UNDERSTAND PERFECTLY!" She roared. "You mean to distract me while your comrades slaughter my people!"

Draco tried to grab her shoulders, to shake her, to will her to believe him.

"BACK OFF!" She screamed. "PROTEGO!"

The force of colliding with her shield charm sent Draco flying backwards, giving Arianwen the chance she needed to flee the villa and apparate to the heart of the battle. Her blood turned cold when she realised whom Montgomery was referring to as the many that had fallen.

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight: Proclamation**

"Gwyn!" Arianwen ran over to where her friend was crumpled on the ground and groaning softly, the grass around him hot and sticky with his blood. He was not the only injured person; there must have been at least twenty people around him that had also fallen and many more in the distance where the battle was still raging on. Buildings belched smoke from their shattered windows, the air filled with the stench of fire, the heat of it strong enough that Arianwen could feel it on her skin, even from where she was. She could hear the moans of the wounded, the sobbing of the survivors, the wet, rattling gasps of the nearly dying. There were so many that Arianwen felt all of her usual composure leave her – she prided herself on her identity as a Healer, but confronted by so much blood, so much hurt, she didn't know what she could possibly do to help.

But Gwyn was only one person. Even if she could do nothing else, she could make a difference here. She could save her friend.

She fell to her knees beside him and began muttering a string of healing spells, desperate to keep him alive - but nothing was working, she could hear his breath beginning to fade. This was it, Gwyn was going to die.

"No," she croaked as her tears fell on his face, "not you too. Please! Not you too!"

His hand twitched, like he was trying to touch her. She gasped and took it, bending close to him to try and decipher the words on his lips.

"Arianwen!" Brianne skidded to a halt beside them and started blabbering about the battle. "It happened so fast, Montgomery sounded the alarm and we all came, there were Death Eaters everywhere. They-they set fire to the village down there, I think-um-I think they're dead. All of them. Montgomery and the others managed to fight them off though, they've all disapparated but…" she stopped talking suddenly for she had only just noticed who Arianwen was bending over, "is that?"

Arianwen nodded absently, she was too preoccupied with stroking Gwyn's head and watching the ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Can you save him?" She whispered.

"There is something," she said nervously, "but I don't know if I'm strong enough."

"You have to be!" Brianne cried. "Arianwen, you have to try!"

She nodded, Brianne was right. She'd managed to save Katie Bell's heart from giving up so why not Gwyn? _Because you're too invested_ , a nasty voice in her head reminded her. _Because you know you might fail and you're so weak and afraid that you won't even try._

"Okay," Arianwen said, fighting against the voice in her head, "I'll do it."

She steadied herself, then placed her hands over Gwyn's chest and started chanting the ancient incantation that she had discovered in one of her family's old books in Myddfai House. To a foreign ear the recitation would sound twisted and dark; the atmosphere around them tightening – closer, colder, thinner, the air vibrating with power.

Gwyn's heart began to beat stronger; she could feel it beneath her fingers as the ancient magic massaged it, calling it back to life. Colour was returning to the little patches of his face that weren't coated in blood as his wounds knitted themselves together. Arianwen wanted to lie beside him, to sleep beside him as his body finished repairing itself, so exhausted was she from the healing spell that she needed to collapse. She knew she couldn't though, she knew that there were more people that needed help, more people that were lying afraid and alone, close to the end as the Death Eaters who attacked them ran away like cowards. A few feet away, a man groaned piteously and as exhausted as she was, she pushed herself to her feet, stealing herself in readiness for what was to come.

* * *

After the battle, Arianwen moved the casualties that were still alive to a make-shift ward in the Duke of Montgomeryshire's house with the help of a group of healers and medi-wizards. She was too afraid to ask what the current body count was, for there had been at least twenty people identified as dead before anyone had even gone down to the main village where the Death Eaters had struck first, so busied herself with fussing over Gwyn's dressings instead.

Gwyn, who could read Arianwen like a book, placed his hand over hers, preventing her from re-fastening the end of the bandage on his stomach. "Arianwen," he croaked weakly, "stop blaming yourself, you couldn't save everyone."

She looked at him through watery eyes and sniffed but nodded slowly and mumbled that she was sorry.

"Don't be. You saved every single person in this room, love, we would have all died without you. Don't you see how incredible you are?"

Arianwen was saved from responding by the booming voice of Gwyn's father, who was calling out his name with the type of desperation that only could only come from fearing the worst. When he saw them he rushed over and kissed his son forcefully on the head, clearly not expecting to find him alive, before rounding on Arianwen and pulling her into a tight embrace. "You saved him," he repeated again and again, "you saved my boy!"

Gwyn's sisters, mother and the rest of their friends found them while Earl Bedwyr gushed his thanks to Arianwen and pulled up chairs around his bed, some of them sobbing with relief. When the Earl finally released Arianwen, she was distinctly more red in the face and felt the need to keep mumbling, "it was nothing".

Brianne seemed outraged by this and proceeded to fill the others in on how Arianwen had managed to save Gwyn, but Arianwen didn't pay attention to any of that, she couldn't tear her eyes away from Gwyn's. He was smiling at her faintly, a stronger version of the one he had had when he was lying close to death in the field; but their eye contact broke when a great cry of "TRAITOR!" made them all jump. Everyone stared agape at the ward's entrance, where a man was forcefully trying to enter but was being blocked by Montgomery.

Arianwen sighed when she heard a familiar voice shouting over Montgomery's repeated cries of, "traitor!" and, "you shall not pass!" It was Aneirin, and he was most probably looking for her.

"I should go and see to that," she said tiredly, moving away from the foot of Gwyn's bed.

"Wait," Gwyn rasped, "please Arianwen, just wait one minute."

She turned back and fixed him with a confused look but did as he requested and moved over to his bedside so he wouldn't have to strain his voice any further.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain?" She asked worriedly, trying not to panic too much for fear of worrying his family.

"No, I'm fine."

Arianwen exchanged a look with Owain, who rolled his eyes and chuckled, assuming his friend was just after a bit more attention from her.

"Okay good," she said slowly, brushing her fingers over his hair soothingly and smiling as his honey-brown eyes fixed upon her intently. "I really need to go and help Aneirin, honey. Montgomery is giving him a pretty hard time over there."

Gwyn nodded and she tried to move away again but, in a swift movement, he just managed to catch hold of her hand, causing her to falter once more. She looked at him expectantly but didn't push for anything, demonstrating her most Hufflepuff-like patience.

"I think I'm in love with you."

The group around Gwyn's bed collectively sucked in a breath and held it there, watching Arianwen's mouth open slightly in surprise. They waited with bated breath for her response but she simply stood there, staring into Gwyn's eyes. After what felt like years she smiled softly and bent down to kiss him on the forehead.

"I'll be back soon," she whispered, avoiding eye contact with any of her friends as she retreated to the ward entrance to calm Montgomery down.

* * *

"You are a TRAITOR, sir! I will not permit you to enter that ward!"

Arianwen slid past Montgomery's arm as he blocked Aneirin's entrance and looked at both men with such sternness that each of them visibly shrank back.

"How dare you cause such a commotion while my patients are trying to rest?" She demanded, arms folded across her chest. She was pleased when they both had the courtesy to look ashamed. Madam Pomfrey would be proud.

"Duchess! I had to make sure that you're okay," Aneirin declared, his eyes scanning Arianwen for any injuries.

"I am quite well," she said in a firm but kind tone, "and I received your letter, darling; you have nothing to worry about, I believe you."

The relief that Aneirin felt was evident, for his whole body seemed to relax as he smiled appreciatively at her. He reached out to take her hand in his but as he did so, Montgomery pulled his wand on him, shouting, "DO NOT TOUCH THE DUCHESS!"

"Duke!" Arianwen exclaimed in horror, she snatched his wand out of his hand and had to jump to dodge the spitting and hissing of sparks that subsequently emitted from its tip. "That is quite enough! Lord Aneirin here played no part in his father's decision. He even wrote to me to confirm that he will take our side and defy his father's judgement. Now, I don't know if you are aware but Aneirin was at the battle and was fighting the Death Eaters. No-" she said, raising her hand to stop Montgomery from interrupting, "no, I saw him with my own eyes and he did a mighty good job of it too! Hit that horrid blonde one and sent him away, squealing like a disgusting pig, didn't you?" She looked to Aneirin and smiled encouragingly as he bent his head slowly in affirmation.

"You were there?" Montgomery asked weakly, the scenes of the horrific slaughter in his village playing across the forefront of his mind.

"Yes," Aneirin said carefully with a somewhat awkward edge to his voice. "I managed to get the last of them out of the village but by that point they, uh…" he couldn't find the words to finish the sentence; he had managed to see off the last Death Eaters but so many innocent people had already been murdered by that point that it barely felt like a victory.

"Oh Merlin," Montgomery croaked, his voice thick with nausea. He staggered over to a rigid bench in the corridor and slumped down upon it in a most un-Montgomery-like fashion, he was normally a man of such poise.

"Duke," Arianwen said gently, taking the seat beside him and encasing his hand in her own in a show of comfort, "tell me what happened. Why did they come for _your_ village of all places?" With a nod from Arianwen, Aneirin pulled up a chair to their left and leant forward slightly to make out the quiet ramblings of the older man.

"Three Death Eaters turned up on my doorstep a few nights ago, they said that their Lord had been informed that I do not support their cause-"

"Informed by whom?" Aneirin butted in, shocked.

Arianwen didn't have to wait to hear Montgomery's response to know that it was her Uncle. Her fingers balled into fists as she listened to the rest of the story.

"-they threatened me of course, said their would be consequences for my refusal but I never-I never expected…I never imagined that they would attack-" his sobs took over, preventing any further speech from coming. Arianwen pulled him into a hug, ignoring the awkwardness that she felt embracing a man whom she'd always regarded as her superior.

Her stomach convulsed with nausea. Draco must have known, he must have been aware that Death Eaters were going to slaughter a whole village, that innocent people were going to die and he didn't even warn her. Yet at the same time she didn't want to believe it, as much as she was trying to suppress it, seeing Draco had only confirmed what she secretly knew all along: that she was still hopelessly in love with him.

 _Why can't I just love Gwyn?_ It would be so easy; a Welsh nobleman with plenty of land and money to last centuries, a man who she thought she could be in love with, whose family loved her, who was adored by her friends and even her Father when he was alive…a man who loved her. _I have to at least try; don't I owe him that? Don't I owe myself that?_

She sighed and rubbed circles into Montgomery's back, smiling gratefully when Aneirin announced that he was going to help clean up the village.

"Nei?" She called suddenly, just managing to catch him before he was out of sight. "Um can I, can you-can you bring him to me?"

Aneirin understood that the 'him' she was referring to was Lloyd and shot a warning glance in the direction of Montgomery, who was still unaware of the child's existence.

"Pembroke, Saturday at dawn," he whispered, and thankfully Montgomery was so wrapped up in his emotions that he didn't pay them any mind.

"Thank you."

* * *

"Well?" Brianne demanded, following Arianwen to her bed where an elf had laid out some respectful black garments for her to wear while the country was in mourning.

"Well what?" Arianwen asked distractedly as she checked her appearance in the mirror. It had only been a few days since the massacre in mid-Wales and she'd barely slept, dedicating all of her time to sending aid to Montgomery's town, healing the wounded, and generally avoiding Gwyn.

"You know what!" Brianne clipped. "What are you going to do about Gwyn?"

Arianwen groaned, she'd done such a good job at avoiding the topic, citing her busyness as an excuse to rush off every time one of her friends tried to corner her, but Brianne had had enough and was determined to get an answer from her best friend one way or another.

"I don't know," she admitted finally, "I haven't allowed myself to feel anything like that for Gwyn in a long time, not since he-"

"That was before," Brianne interrupted as Arianwen was about to mention Gwyn's prior infidelity, "he's different now, Ri, he's grown up. He would never do that to you again, I'm sure of it!"

Arianwen eyed her friend cautiously; she looked so earnest, clearly in favour of the idea of the two getting back together. "Maybe not but it still doesn't excuse the fact that I don't have those feelings for him, Brianne. I just don't."

"Is this about Draco?" Brianne probed. "Because if it is, you need to forget him. He's been awful to you, more awful than Gwyn has ever been. Gwyn loves you, he wants to make you happy and I know that you will love him too if you let your guard down for five minutes! Can't you give him a chance?"

Arianwen bit her lip, she brushed her hair to one side and started plaiting it neatly.

"Alright," she resigned, laughing as Brianne squeaked in delight. "I suppose you're right, there is no point me hanging on to Draco, he clearly isn't thinking of me right now. I need to move on. Can you ask Gwyn to visit me this evening? I'll be in Pembroke. I would ask him myself but I've got to go to the Council meeting."

"YES! This is incredible, I'm so excited for you! I'll go tell him now." She planted a quick kiss on Arianwen's cheek and then darted from the room. Arianwen sat down on the edge of her bed, she looked at the photograph that Draco had given her of them on the bench at Pembroke and allowed a few tears to fall for the loss of the man she loved.

* * *

 _After the battle, in Wiltshire…_

Draco scowled as another Death Eater shot his father a smug smirk; the Dark Lord had recently announced that the Malfoy's manor was to be their headquarters and many of the Death Eaters had taken this as an opportunity to force themselves upon the already fraying family, goading them with a lack of privacy.

"Quiet." The chilling voice of the Dark Lord silenced the room immediately, causing an odd buzz of anticipation to hover around their heads. "So," he said, his eyes flashing as he stalked through the assembled Death Eaters, his long-fingered hands clasped behind his back, his snake-like face a mask. "I gather a congratulations are in order; very well done, all of you." Draco sensed the danger in the Dark Lord's tone, the vibrations thrumming through the room, and tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible; other Death Eaters, however, did not seem to pick up on it, and he saw several of them glance at each other, obviously relieved.

"Oh, yes," Voldemort continued, his eyes scanning the faces of those he passed, that cold, empty smile causing many of them to look away, " _congratulations_. You managed to slaughter the cattle and seize the village, as instructed, and, I'm _sure_ ," his voice was a silken drawl, "that when the Welsh fools brought in reinforcements, you all held your positions," and Draco could see the relief slide off the faces of the idiots who thought they were safe, "as you were instructed. I'm _sure_ ," Voldemort continued, "that you were more than a match for those weak-minded Mudblood-lovers and their pathetic excuse for magic. But wait!" He spun, suddenly, clapping his hands together and causing everyone to jump. "That's right! _You_ _didn't do any of that_. You _fled_ , like frightened little _children_."

The entire mass of Death Eaters were cringing now, and Draco kept his head bowed.

"You had your orders!" Voldemort spat. "You were told to _take_ and _hold_ the village! And yet, you, my _most trusted servants_ , my _greatest forces_ , couldn't even defeat a squabbling mass of _weak-minded Welshmen_!"

"My Lord!" Draco glanced up sharply at the familiar drawl of Lord Dafydd Gwydion. He fell to his knees in a great show of deference, his hands clasped together as though praying for forgiveness. "My Lord please! Forgive us, I beg of you! Montgomery cannot deny us for long, he will break and then we have only to take the South!"

"Take the South?" Voldemort sneered. "What is stopping you? Your niece? You mean to tell me that this child is more powerful than you? Perhaps it is she who should be amongst us here, you're barely worthy of your mark."

A shuffling could be heard in the room as people shifted uncomfortably. Draco felt a chill spread throughout his body at the mention of Arianwen, but couldn't supress a private smirk at the thought of what she would have said if she'd been approached by the Death Eaters. His mind went to her, it killed him to know that she was out there somewhere, alone, possibly even hurt – and she hated him. He had finally managed to make her hate him…so why wasn't he happy?

* * *

"Arianwen?" Gwyn called tentatively, poking his head into a multitude of rooms on his way through the castle. He wandered into a sitting room and smiled at what he saw; Arianwen was curled up in a mess of blankets, fast asleep. He crouched down in front of her and shook her shoulder gently, causing her to stir in a panic and rub her eyes urgently; they softened when she saw him.

"Gwyn! Sorry I uh-I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"No?" Gwyn smiled teasingly. "Because normally when you bury yourself in blankets you fall asleep pretty quickly. Remember that New Years Eve?"

Arianwen blushed, a few years ago she'd promised Gwyn a kiss at midnight, they'd cwtched themselves around a bonfire in one of the fields around Gwyn's house but she'd got so warm and comfortable that she'd fallen into a deep stupor and Gwyn couldn't wake her up without getting a slap to the face.

"Sorry," she mumbled, dragging herself from the sofa and pulling Gwyn into a tight hug. "You look well."

He laughed into her hair, the warm vibrations enticing her to smile against his chest. "I have you to thank for that."

"I know. Flowers would've been nice."

Gwyn chuckled and scooped her up, he sat back where she had made a dent in the sofa cushion and pulled the blankets around them, keeping her on his lap. "That's quite enough from you, little one!"

Arianwen pouted playfully, enjoying how comfortable things could be with him. "But I wanted flowers," she whined, "they're pretty, I want some!"

Gwyn grinned and kissed her hand gently, "then I will get you all of the flowers in Wales, happy?" She nodded enthusiastically and shuffled closer so that she could rest her head on his shoulder.

"So," Gwyn started after a few minutes of comfortable silence, "apparently I confessed my love for you the other night?"

Arianwen sat up in surprise, examining Gwyn's face for information. "You don't remember?"

"Vaguely, you drugged me pretty hard."

"Oh, yeah I suppose I did," she offered weakly, surprised by the disappointment she felt.

Gwyn ran a finger down the side of her face, his honey-brown eyes watching her carefully. "Doesn't mean I didn't mean it though."

Arianwen felt her heartbeat quicken, she watched as Gwyn's face became serious and blushed under the intensity of his gaze.

"I do love you, Arianwen, I know it took me a while to realise it but I do. I never should have treated you the way I did before, you deserve better."

Arianwen couldn't say anything, she felt like her lips were glued shut. Gwyn seemed happy enough to talk for both of them though. "I want to give us another go. I know you're still upset about Draco and I'm willing to wait if that's what you need. Merlin, I'd wait a hundred years if you asked me to but I have to know…I have to know if there's a chance for us…" His eyes were pleading, he looked so pained, as though laying his emotions out like that had physically hurt him.

 _Draco wouldn't wait for me._ A little voice in her head reminded her. _Draco would rarely even say that he loved me, and that was all a lie to get me to sleep with him anyway. Gwyn is better, so much better. I know I can make myself love him._

 _Yes. I'm going to fall in love with Gwyn, it's decided._

"There's more than a chance," she whispered, her eyes transfixed on his. He didn't breathe, just continued to look at her hopefully. "Maybe you can come and visit me in Hogsmeade next month? For um-for a date maybe?"

He grinned widely and pulled her close so that their noses were barely an inch apart, moments later their lips were moving against each other and Arianwen almost allowed herself a moment to forget about Draco.

Almost.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine: Indebted

_**Previously...**_

 _Arianwen stopped suddenly in the courtyard of the castle and felt a strong grip enclose around her wrist, forcing her to spin around._

 _Standing before her was herself, only with those horrifying blue eyes she'd seen before; the same version of herself that plagued her dreams every time she was alone in Wales._

 _"_ _Who the hell are you?" She screamed but the girl only smiled disturbingly and pulled her towards the entrance to the Great Keep._

 _"_ _You can't get in there, no one can! Just leave me be, for Merlin's sake!"_

 _The girl's eyes flashed dangerously and Arianwen staggered backwards, fear overcoming her. The blue-eyed Arianwen pulled a long chain from her beneath her robe to reveal an old brass key, she pushed it into the keyhole of the door and turned it. With a distinctive collection of clicks, the door unlocked and the blue-eyed girl spoke for the first time._

 _"_ _Come Lady Arianwen, it is time for you to release me."_

 _Arianwen followed numbly, her feet carrying her up the steep spiral staircase until she reached a heavily bolted iron cast door. She stared at it, expecting it to open for her but nothing happened._

 _"_ _Hello?" She called._

 _The iron cover behind the barred window slid open abruptly and a pair of piercing blue eyes stared through it. However for the first time they looked scared, horrified, in fact and Arianwen knew that something awful must have happened in that tower._

 _And as suddenly as the prisoner's disposition had changed, Arianwen started to feel terror like she'd never experienced in her life. She screamed and leapt back, stumbling on the top step and falling helplessly down the staircase-_

Her body jerked her awake and she sat up in bed, covered in sweat and panting.

* * *

"The Dark Lord," Snape said, his voiced laced with pique, "has turned his attention to Wales, he has not forgotten how they refused to support him last time and if they do so again…he will take it by force."

It felt like Draco's heart was in his mouth, Arianwen would be in real danger if she refused his master. He didn't want to give away his fear to Snape though; he was the Dark Lord's right hand man and could easily be testing him. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because if Arianwen is appointed Warden of South Wales, our master will expect you to get her to join our ranks and if she refuses, as I think she may, she will face a fate worse than death." Snape's eyes bored into his own, he felt random thoughts and memories flash to the forefront of his mind, as if Snape were rifling through them, looking for something. He focused his energy into expelling Snape from his head as his Aunt Bella had taught him but it was too late.

"You love her, don't you?"

Draco hoisted his injured leg off the sofa and stood, he curled his fist around the collar of Snape's cloak and shook him, his eyes harsher than Snape had ever seen them. "You know nothing!" He spat vehemently.

"Draco!" Narcissa called from the other end of the room. "What on earth are you doing?"

He released Snape's robes with a shove and attempted to stalk out of the room but to his annoyance, Snape managed to grab his arm just in time. Draco turned back and locked eyes with his old professor; he must have caught him in some state of sudden vulnerability for he could read regret behind the eyes of a fractured soul. Finally, Draco understood the message Snape was trying to send him.

"End it."

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine:** **Indebted**

 _31st August 1997._

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The sound of the shovel plunging into the damp earth was all that could be heard, so still was the night. The sky was unblemished, allowing the cold glow of the moon and the stars to illuminate her surroundings: a gated field littered with carved stones in different shapes and sizes, arranged into neat lines – the graveyard.

Arianwen watched herself dig up her father's grave, transfixed in place and unable to intervene. It was the same dream she had every night, only this time it felt different, it felt colder somehow, even the hairs on her arms were standing on end.

CRACK.

The startling sound of the shovel colliding with the heavy wooden casket shocked Arianwen back to her senses, she leapt forward and charged toward the edge of the grave to see her other self scrabbling at the dirt with her bare hands, trying to find a way to open the box.

"NO!" she screamed. She threw herself into the hole and landed awkwardly on her leg but wasted no time and sunk her fingers into her other self's hair, trying desperately to pull her backward.

Nothing happened. Her fingers slid through her hair as fast as sand falls between fingers. She was helpless.

The other Arianwen halted her movements suddenly: she'd found the seal. With unbelievable ease, she freed the lid of the casket from its body to reveal a pile of fine robes encasing what was left of her father. She couldn't even bring herself to scream as she watched herself remove something from around her father's neck and turn to face her. Only, she looked different, those wretched blue eyes looking back at her from within her skull. With a sudden movement, the pretender launched herself at Arianwen, pushing down on her shoulders so that her back was pressed against her father's corpse. She tried to struggle but it was no use, the other woman was too powerful.

"Go to the Tower," a commanding voice, most unlike her own, ordered. "I'll be waiting."

Arianwen blinked, she was gone. She was gone, but Arianwen was not. She suddenly felt very aware of her surroundings, her knees wet, her back aching, her fingers bloody. She slapped a hand to her mouth to muffle the guttural scream it produced. She tasted earth.

It wasn't a dream. She really had gone to the graveyard in nothing but her night clothes, she'd really dug up the earth, she was really lying in her father's casket.

"No no no no," she panted, "no it wasn't-I didn't want to-Daddy, I'm sorry!" Wailing, she scratched at the walls of the grave in a desperate bid to escape. With some unknown strength, she managed to claw her way out, forcing loose stones to wedge underneath her nails.

"Wand!" she cried desperately, crawling over the grass and patting the ground as she went, sure that she would find it hidden there somewhere if she searched hard enough. As she was searching, something swung out from inside her nightgown, dangling in front of her from a chain around her neck: a large brass key. She clutched it in her hand, bringing it closer to her face so she could examine it more clearly. Sure enough, it bore the exact some markings as the one she had seen around her father's neck when he died.

It was time to find out who or what was so desperate to break out of that tower.

"Wand!" she barked commandingly, and a moment later she felt the wood handle fly into her outstretched hand. Standing at a considerable distance, she moved the earth back into the grave and turned on her heal, apparating out of the graveyard with a loud crack.

* * *

Back at Pembroke Castle, Arianwen ascended the steep winding steps to the heavy wooden door at the top. She pushed the key into the lock carefully and twisted, hearing it grind against the rusted gears inside until it clicked open. Slowly, she turned the door handle and let the door creak open. It was dark inside, her eyes couldn't make out anything apart from the light that was peeping through the tiny window on the opposite wall. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.

Suddenly, everything around her burst into life. The door slammed shut behind her and a fire roared awake in its place, illuminating the entire room but this sudden visibility only confused Arianwen more; there was no one there.

Or at least that's what she thought until she felt a smooth finger glide against the back of her exposed neck. "Good evening, Duchess."

Just like it had been in the graveyard, her body was paralyzed, feet routed to the floor. The woman moved into view, standing in front of Arianwen and examining her with those unnaturally bright blue eyes. It was the first time that Arianwen had seen the body that matched the eyes though. The woman was slightly taller than Arianwen and her frame was slender with skin as white and translucent as ice, hair as dark as the night. Arianwen couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was but just as soon as she had the woman laughed maliciously.

"Yes," she agreed, "people do tend to notice my beauty, just as they do yours." She grabbed Arianwen's chin and yanked it nearer to her own, "it will be your downfall, girl," she warned, "just as it was mine."

"Who are you?" Arianwen croaked, finally finding her voice.

"I," the woman began, releasing Arianwen's chin from her grasp and moving toward the window, "am the Lady of the Lake, or Nimue, as you may know me."

Arianwen's mouth fell open. She'd always thought that the stories of the Lady of the Lake were just legend, fairy tales designed to keep children in line. And yet, standing before her was a legend made flesh, taller than Arianwen with long, dark hair that fell in matted locks down her back.

"What," Arianwen said, swallowing past the tight dryness in her throat, "what do you want from me? Why did you bring me here?"

Nimue smiled at her, all teeth. "I want to be free of this cell that _Merlin_ ," she spat the name, "trapped me in. And I need _your_ help, young one."

"Me?" Arianwen stared at her. "What do you need me for?"

"I needed the key," Nimue said, and Arianwen's blood boiled.

" _You_ ," she said, her hands clenching into fists. "You made me dig up my _father's grave_. You left me with his _corpse_."

"Watch your tone, girl," Nimue hissed, her eyes flashing. "It's your family that worked the blood magic that bound me here, so it's your—"

"If you think," Arianwen shouted, "that I am going to do _anything_ to help you get out of here after everything that you have put me through, after everything my _family_ has done to keep you locked in here, you psycho bitch—"

Arianwen stopped, suddenly and without her control, her tongue suddenly heavy and leaden in her mouth, and she stared at Nimue as the other woman's expression went dark and flat.

"My mother used to say," Nimue said, her eyes fixed on Arianwen's, "that nasty little girls with nothing good to say," and Arianwen can feel her tongue pressing at the back of her mouth, cutting off her air, the tendon pulled too tight, painful as her tongue was pushed backwards into her throat, "would always eat their words. Now," Nimue said, suddenly very close to Arianwen, close enough that she could see the bright, unnatural blue of Nimue's eyes, feel her breath move the still air, "you will be _silent_ , and you hear your family's crimes against me."

Arianwen felt tears start in her eyes, the pressure in her head building from the lack of oxygen.

"I," Nimue said, "was promised in marriage to an Englishman to curry favour with Arthur, sold off for a better seat in court. But I did my duty; I married him, and I gave him three sons, whom I loved more than life. My sons inherited my skills with magic, particularly in the healing arts, but I never grew to love my husband. He was," Nimue's lip curls, "a terribly _dull_ man. But then, I met someone like me; a man, mind you, but a man of such _power_. It was intoxicating. I fell in love.

"My husband, weak-minded and small-cocked, became jealous, as all men do, and he had us imprisoned here, in this place. I was his _wife_ ," Nimue snarled. "I am a noblewoman by the grace of my blood; he had _no right_." She took a deep breath, and seemed to calm herself. "Merlin — because it was Merlin, the man that I was weak enough to fall in love with — managed to escape. He promised he would come back for me. _He lied_." Nimue's voice was dark and ominous now, a seething fury under a surface of calm. "He claims that _Arthur_ , Arthur the golden king, the promised saviour, convinced him not to. As though that child would have been able to convince Merlin of anything he didn't already want to do.

"I managed to get a message to my sons, to tell them where I was; and they, my wonderful, beautiful sons, they came for me. They were the only people who ever truly loved me, and they came when I called. Not that it mattered, in the end." Her eyes were bitter and sad where they met Arianwen's, now. "Their _father_ caught them trying to get into this tower. He burned them, down there," she pointed towards an arrowslit window, a sliver of light barred with iron, "where I could watch my children die."

Nimue blinked slowly, as though her vision had been momentarily a thousand years ago, and suddenly Arianwen could breathe again. She swallowed air, choked, and coughed violently, desperately gasping for breath as Nimue watched her, impassive.

"I can smell the Gwydion blood in you, child," she said. "I need your blood and breath to open the portal to my home."

"Your," Arianwen tried, her voice rasping and hoarse, her throat still burning, "your home?"

"The Otherworld," Nimue said. "On the other side of the lake. The spells that your forefather placed on my prison binds me to this world, and I need your blood to open the barrier, and your breath to speak the enchantment that will let me pass from this Godforsaken place."

"I," said Arianwen, her mind racing, "you—" and then a flash of realisation. "You need me," she said. "You _need_ me."

Nimue narrowed her eyes, the iris shining blue through her thick, dark lashes. "Are you attempting to _threaten_ me, child?" she said, her voice both ominous and incredulous.

"Not threaten," Arianwen said, a plan formulating in her mind. "Bargain."

The moon shone silver on the lake, as still and flat in the cold night air as a sheet of glass. Arianwen's breath steamed on the air. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Nimue's did not.

"So," said Nimue. "You wish to _learn_ from me."

"I _need_ to learn from you," Arianwen said, carefully keeping the urgency out of her voice. "The Dark Lord will attack Wales again; he won't be satisfied until he has the whole of Britain, the whole of _Europe_ under his thumb. The Death Eaters fight dirty, and I need to protect my people. I need to know how to beat them."

"'The Dark Lord'?" Nimue said, her voice full of mocking laughter. "What do I care for your petty human struggles, girl? I could take your mind and force you to speak the words, and slit your throat over the water."

"But you haven't," Arianwen said. "So, no offence, but I don't think you can. I think my great-great-whatever grandfather tied free will into the spell. You _need_ me, Nimue. And I need you. This seems like a mutually beneficial relationship to me."

Nimue scoffed, her eyes on the reflection of the moon, hanging in the lake like she could just swim out there and touch it.

"The Dark Lord will not stop with humanity," Arianwen said, softly. "He is obsessed with blood purity — _human_ blood purity. Anything not human is below his concern. He will enslave anything he can see use for, and murder anything he cannot. He must not be allowed to win."

There was a long moment of silence between them that seemed to contain the entire world.

"Very well," Nimue said. "I will teach you — _some_ of my arts. Enough old magic to give you an advantage, to make full use of your old blood, and nothing more. And then you will split your palm, and speak the enchantment, and release me."

"Yes," Arianwen breathed. "I will."

* * *

 _1_ _st_ _September 1997.  
_

For what must have been the tenth time that evening, Arianwen's eyes moved to the entrance of the Slytherin common room as the door swung open and a few stragglers from the welcoming feast walked in, chattering happily.

"He's not coming back, you know," Blaise warned quietly from his seat beside the fire.

Arianwen moved her eyes over to him slowly, arranging her face so that she would look mildly confused. "Who do you mean?"

Blaise rolled his eyes and moved to take a seat next to her on the sofa. "That," he said, tracing a circle in the air around her face with his finger, "won't work on me, love. We've known each other for too long."

She sniffed moodily, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm glad he didn't come back."

Blaise raised his eyebrows at her disbelievingly. "Are you?"

Arianwen glared at him. "He burned down one of my villages, Blaise. The last person I need to is to see Draco fucking Malfoy."

"He didn't personally burn it down, Ri," he reasoned.

"Maybe not but he made sure I was kept occupied while his cowardly mates did it for him, which is just as bad as far as I'm concerned," she snapped.

"Ri, come on, you know he wouldn't—"

"Why are you defending him?" she hissed, glancing around at the other Slytherins who were watching the pair curiously.

"Because you love him, and I'm trying to let you know that he's not the monster you think he is."

"He is _exactly_ the person that I think he is and if I ever get the chance I'll cut his throat myself for what he's done!"

Everyone was staring now. Arianwen stood up and tried to walk away but Blaise had grabbed her hand and pulled her back down beside him. "Alright alright, I'm sorry," he said in a low voice, "just sit with me for a while."

And so they did. They sat in silence, side-by-side, until the other students had grown bored of the scene and left for their dormitories. Then, as the last of the fire burnt out, they rose in unison and descended the steps to their respective dorms without so much as a glance to the other.

Thoughts plagued Blaise's mind that night, something was very different about Arianwen. He knew that Draco had broken her heart, that much was obvious, but there was something else about her…he just couldn't place it.

* * *

 _Two months later._

Draco trudged through the masses of wet leaves that had gathered across the winding streets of Hogsmeade. He swore loudly as he kicked a pile of them out of his way only to have his foot connect with something solid that was hidden underneath. Life at the Malfoy Manor was shit, there was no other other way that Draco could describe it and in all honesty shit was not strong enough. Draco didn't think that there was a word in an human language that could describe the misery his life had become. His house, his ancestral home, had turned into an asylum for the deranged and insane, and that wasn't even including Belatrix.

Glancing through the window of the Three Broomsticks pub, he noted how much more subdued the crowd was this year than he'd ever seen it during the Hogsmeade weekends of years past. As he pushed the door open he spotted his old group of friends with ease, probably because they looked the most cheerful of everyone in there, and approached them.

"Draco!" Pansy squealed, jumping from her chair to envelop him in a hug. The atmosphere in the pub seemed to still temporarily whilst many of the students and teachers turned to look at the Malfoy boy, a shared look of hatred apparent on their faces. He wondered vaguely if they still thought it was he who killed Dumbledore but then again even if they did know that it wasn't him, he was a known Death Eater.

"Draco." Blaise greeted with a smile, shaking his hand and offering him a chair, which he took gladly. "I'm surprised to see you here, thought you were too important for us school kids!" Blaise joked, the others sniggering with him.

"I'm here to see Snape, if I'm honest, but Pansy wrote me saying you'd all be here so I thought I may as well stop by."

Goyle, who'd recently been getting very close to Pansy, shot her a filthy look. "Oh don't look at me like that Greggie, I was only being friendly!" she whined.

The attention of the other Slytherins was quickly drawn to Pansy and Goyle's argument, allowing Draco the opportunity to cast his eyes around the rest of the pub and into the street beyond. He squinted as something caught his eye in the distance and watched it grow nearer, unable to prevent the sudden rapid beating of his heart.

"What is she doing here?" He growled under his breath to Blaise, whom he knew had been watching him.

"I rather think she was hoping that you'd come back for seventh year."

Draco didn't say anything, instead keeping his eyes trained on Arianwen, who he could now see was being accompanied by someone, a man he guessed, by the shape of his outline. He wanted desperately to ask how she was but didn't know how to form the words without sounding like he cared, at least he knew now that she wasn't badly hurt in the battle.

"She seems…different this year," Blaise said slowly, apparently guessing what was on Draco's mind.

"Different how?" Draco asked as casually as he could manage, whilst still keeping his gaze upon Arianwen.

"It's hard to describe," Blaise started, "she doesn't really speak to anyone, or attempt to socialize at all. She disappears sometimes-"

"Disappears?" Draco interrupted, looking back at Blaise sharply. "Disappears where?"

Blaise fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Well obviously I don't know where she goes and she isn't keen on telling me either. All I know is that every Friday evening since term began she has disappeared off somewhere and then will return the next morning completely battered."

"Battered?" Draco asked, alarmed. "Someone's hurting her?"

"It seems that way," Blaise said darkly, "I saw blood dripping from the sleeve of her robes a few weeks back. Unfortunately she saw me watching her though, and she's been a lot more careful ever since."

Draco looked back out of the window and watched Arianwen sit down on a bench next to her companion, who he recognised to be Gwyn Bedwyr.

"Who do you think is doing it?" He asked shortly, watching Gwyn cup Arianwen's cheek with his hand and feeling his stomach tighten jealously.

"I dunno mate." Blaise admitted. "The Carrow's seem to have taken a disliking to her, give her detentions left right and centre but she's never complained about them to me."

Draco looked at Blaise, alarmed. They'd been bragging about their new techniques for the punishment of students at the last Death Eaters meeting, their favourite method being to hang students by their wrists from the ceiling and beat them with a variety of implements or cast a string of curses on them. His fingers curled into tight fists at the thought, when he got his hands on them he was going to-

But his thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Arianwen leaning closer to Gwyn and kissing him. He gaped as Gwyn wrapped her up in his arms and deepened the kiss, making it last for what felt like an eternity to Draco. Cringing at the scraping of the chair legs against the floor as he stood up, grumbled, "I'll see you all soon", and marched out of the pub, heading toward the castle and pointedly ignoring his friends' protests.

His eyes were firmly trained on the tips of the castle towers, which were just visible from the village, but it didn't stop him from hearing Arianwen's soft voice as she crooned over Gwyn. It made him so sick that he had half a mind to grab Gwyn and sink so many punches into him that Arianwen would never be able to pick him out of a crowd.

But he resisted, allowing himself instead to wallow in his thoughts. The worst part of what he had just seen was that Arianwen seemed to be just as intent on kissing Gwyn as he was to kiss her. How could she move on so soon?

If there was one thing he could take from it though, it was that he was sure as hell glad that he couldn't understand Welsh and didn't have to hear whatever sweet nothings she was uttering to Gwyn.

Arianwen walked slowly back to the dungeons after her short trip to Hogsmeade. She didn't know why but she couldn't bring herself to be around anyone for an extended period of time at the moment, not even Gwyn. It didn't help that she hadn't slept at all last night. She'd snuck out of the castle while the others were at dinner and apparated back to Wales so that she could continue her training in the Tower. Nimue was sure that Arianwen would be able to gauge the full extent of her powers if she put her in a life or death situation, the theory being that if Arianwen's mind was what was preventing her from accessing the ancient magic within her, then her body would have to take over.

Unfortunately for Arianwen, this meant being very nearly drowned repeatedly. The week before it meant almost being burned alive and the week before that she had been beaten with a spiked club. To an extent, Nimue's plan had worked for Arianwen's body now healed itself on its own, but it wasn't enough. There was something else that Nimue was looking for from her – Arianwen just wished she knew what it was.

A door slammed closed suddenly in the corridor ahead; Arianwen drew herself tightly against the nearest wall, wand raised as the sound of footsteps drew nearer. Two seconds later, she saw the source of the footsteps and wished she'd run in the opposite direction on first instinct.

"I must say it is a surprise to see you here." Draco drawled, closing the gap between them in one easy stride.

Arianwen had half a mind to attack him then and there, but managed to keep her cool as she responded, "I could say the same thing for you, or is there some sort of shortage of villages for you to destroy?"

Draco's jaw tightened and his eyes flashed dangerously. "I had nothing to do with that," he growled.

Arianwen laughed coldly. "Oh yeah? I think that mark on your arm would say otherwise."

"Don't be cocky," he snarled, pushing her up against the wall and glaring into her eyes with such force that he expected her to recoil. But she didn't, she simply glared back with the same ferociousness. After neither of them backed down Draco released her, panting as though he'd just run a mile, Arianwen doing the same.

"Do you swear it?" she asked quietly, watching his face carefully.

"I do."

She nodded a few times and began to walk away but Draco couldn't restrain himself. "I see you had no trouble finding someone else to warm your bed!" He called after her.

Arianwen turned slowly, a strange, dangerous smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "That was you that I saw in the village then." She stalked toward him like he was the first prey she'd seen in weeks.

"Did you enjoy the show?" she mocked, wetting her lips and pulling on his shirt so that they were almost touching his ear. He could feel her hot breath on his neck, sending shivers down his spine yet alighting every inch of his skin with desire in the same instant. And then, in the most painfully seductive whisper, "he knows exactly how to use his tongue."

In one quick movement, Draco had grasped the back of her head with his hand and spun her so that her back slammed against the wall, he sunk his lips onto hers without a moment's pause and lapped up their indulgence greedily. He felt her breasts heaving underneath him and her legs wrap themselves around his waist, grinding their pelvises together wantonly.

"You're mine." he growled into her ear.

Arianwen's movements halted underneath him and he felt her hands brush against his cheeks, gently pushing his head backward so that their eyes could meet again. "Say you love me," she whispered, her eyes widening slightly with that look of hopeful innocence that had made him fall in love with her in the first place.

He couldn't believe how after everything he'd done she still wanted him. It killed him to do it but slowly he uttered the one word that he knew would devastate her: "No."

All of a sudden, he saw her eyes blacken and he felt a creeping coldness dispersing through his bloodstream but then, just as quickly as it had come, the feeling was gone and her lips were against his once more. He groaned as she dragged her fingers over his scalp and she curled them around his hair and-

"Argh!" He cried out in surprise as she yanked his head back with one hand and pushed a blade against his throat with the other.

"Then I will never be yours, Death Eater," she spat, pushing the blade harder against his milky skin. Still with her legs wrapped around his waist, she drew herself up so that their eyes were level, green against grey. "Touch me again and you might find that my hand juuust slips-" she allowed the blade to swipe against his skin, smiling as a hiss of pain escaped his lips and a thin line of blood trickled down his neck, blemishing the crisp white collar of his shirt. She jumped down and released him in one go, pocketing her dagger carefully in the sheath strapped to her thigh.

"Goodbye Draco."

* * *

 **A/N:** Arianwen and Draco are not having the best time of it are they :/ What are your thoughts on their situation? Do you think Arianwen should tell Gwyn about her run in with Draco?

Also, I know that it has been a while since I updated last so I fully expect you all to be a bit confused as to the timeline of events, so if you have any questions please feel free to put them in a review or DM me and I'll reply. I'm part way through chapter thirty now so will try and get that to you all ASAP (I'm hoping no more than a week) but I'm also working on a big research proposal which has been slowing me down :(

 **Thank you SO much to everyone who has reviewed and followed or favourited this story, it's so nice to get feedback, I really appreciate it!**

And finally, sorry for the jumpiness of this chapter, there were too many events that I needed to write to be able to make it all flow nicely without writing double the amount and boring you all in the process. The next one maaaay include another meeting between Arianwen and Draco but I haven't finished writing it yet so if there's anything that you think should happen/they should speak about, let me know!


	30. Chapter Thirty: Realisations

**A/N: Thanks so much to Guest, alfieHewie, Drizzlex2 and Aurora for reviewing 3**

alfieHewie - don't worry, even though Draco and Arianwen aren't together now, they will have plenty of encounters ;)

Aurora - yes it is a pity you can't DM! I agree about their hostility, it amuses me too.

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty: Realisations**

Arianwen clutched at her throat, nails scraping the skin as she frantically gasped for air. Nimue watched her with cold eyes.

"You're distracted, girl," she said, her tone as flat as the thin line of her mouth, and Arianwen could suddenly breathe again. "Your mind is full of useless things, pointless disputes with — a boy?" Her eyes flashed dangerously, and her mouth twisted into something that might have been disgust, or amusement. "A boy," she said, dragging out the word, "a boy who left you; and it's no wonder." Arianwen shot her a shocked, offended look, not entirely understanding, and saw the sadistic look in her eye. "Look at you," Nimue said, "you're pathetic, a little whimpering girl, desperate for attention, still full of childish hope that he will realise, suddenly, that the sun shines out of your arse, that he'll come running back to you and everything will be wonderful and happy." Arianwen felt the wound of Nimue's words strike her like a knife, like the knife she drew on Draco, and pushed back against it, determined not to cry.

"It's no wonder he doesn't love you," Nimue continued, her tone almost casual in its derision. "Who could love you, child — because that is what you are, a child, pathetic, wheedling, whining, clinging to your friends and your lover and your father with your desperation for love and validation; everyone keeps leaving you because they see you for who you are: an utter waste of a life, toxic and pointless and grasping for a purpose that isn't there. I bet," she said, her voice taking on a sly note, "that your father died just to get away from you."

Something snapped inside Arianwen, and she felt anger replace the misery that had been swirling somewhere at the back of her throat, rage pulsing in her stomach and her fingers, twisting her mouth down into a scowl, a snarl. Her eyes prickled, but not with the feeling of tears. It was the same feeling she had had when Draco refused to say that he loved her, the same swell of anger and hot blood pounding in her head.

"Ah," said Nimue, her smile satisfied and terrifying. "There it is."

Arianwen blinked at her, not understanding, and Nimue gestured to the still water of the lake. "Take a look at your true power, girl," she said, and Arianwen stepped forward to peer down at her reflection.

Her eyes were pools of pure, glistening darkness in her face, and Arianwen could feel the power within her, could feel the life force of Nimue next to her, the way she could just reach out and pull it towards her—

"Please, child," Nimue said, "you couldn't drain me if you tried, and the effort of containing me would destroy you; but this is your true power, Arianwen, the power of your blood, passed down through the female line of your family, because only women can wield it. This is the power you can use to destroy any enemy."

"How does it work?" Arianwen said, watching her reflection with a horrified fascination.

"When it overcomes you," Nimue said, "it is as though you become Death, and as such are no longer alive, and therefore cannot be killed. You can take the life force of others but they cannot take yours. All you need is the key to access it, and that is what we have just found."

"Anger," Arianwen said.

"Rage," Nimue corrected. "This power is how I am still alive after a millennium in that tower, and it is this power that will win you your war."

* * *

"Ginny! Are you alright?" Neville hobbled over to where Ginny lay, curled into a ball, her breathing ragged.

"I'm fine," she grumbled, wincing as she rolled onto her knees, curling her back upwards in a most feline movement. "I can't wait for the day where I can kill Alecto bloody Carrow."

Neville nodded gravely. "You and me both."

He waited while Ginny gathered herself together, his eyes wandering to a girl who had been hanging by her wrists from the ceiling since before even they had arrived. It had become pretty commonplace for Neville to find himself in detention as the term had progressed, his position as leader of Dumbledore's Army meant that he was often targeted by the Carrows who seemed determined to make an example out of him. The hanging girl hadn't moved since they'd got there, he assumed she must have passed out for there was no way anyone could sleep through his and Ginny's screams as Alecto Carrow used the Cruciatus Curse on them repeatedly over the course of an hour. Their detention had been cut short by Filch, who'd called the stumpy Death Eater away claiming there was a disturbance in the courtyard. Never had he been so glad to see Argus Filch in his life.

Ginny pulled hard on his forearm as she dragged herself to her feet, her eyes also falling upon the girl. She grimaced as she saw blood dripping down her arms, which looked oddly disconnected to her body, as though both her shoulders had dislocated.

"Reckon Gwydion's dead?" she joked crudely.

Neville frowned. "Don't say that," he reprimanded. "Come on, lets get her down."

Ginny looked at him like he was mad. "Are you deranged? Do you enjoy getting battered by the Carrows or something?"

"We can't just leave her, she must've been hanging there for hours!" Even so, he still didn't move to pull her down, Ginny's warning playing on his mind. "What do you reckon she did?"

The redhead examined Arianwen thoughtfully, "I dunno but it must've been bad for them to do that to one of their own."

"I'm not one of them," Arianwen's croaky voice sounded, her head rising slowly to make eye contact with the Gryffindors.

"Merlin, Arianwen!" Neville jumped, "you look half dead!" He darted over to a wheel on the wall and turned it anticlockwise, the cogs clicking inside as the chains lowered. He managed to free the chains from her wrists and gestured to Ginny to help him carry her out.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Arianwen snapped, knocking their hands away and getting to her feet independently, flexing her hands as she did so. She felt blood rush down her arms and into her finger tips, the bruising and cuts carved into her flesh from the chains healing rapidly.

"What the fuck?" Ginny breathed, staring in awe at Arianwen's now entirely healed arm. "How did you do that?"

"None of your business," Arianwen bit back frostily. "And I am _not_ one of _them_."

Ginny crossed her arms haughtily. "Could've fooled me."

Neville's eyes darted between them worriedly, his hands starting to rise upward as though he expected to have to physically referee.

"Just cos' Malfoy ditched you, doesn't mean we suddenly think you're innocent," the Wesley girl continued.

Arianwen glared hard at the other girl. "What exactly am I guilty of then?" she shouted. "They attacked one of our villages, do you really think I would side with them after that?"

"Then why are you here?" Ginny shouted back. "Why aren't you fighting back?"

"It's not that fucking simple is it," the blonde spat.

"Will you join us then?" Neville asked quietly. "Will you join us and fight against _him,_ against all of them?"

Arianwen felt the anger drain out of her, she eyed Neville tiredly. "We don't fight English wars." She left the room not long after that, ignoring Ginny's outbursts about it being a Welsh war too, and thanking Neville for freeing her. Ginny was right of course, it _was_ everybody's war but then it wasn't Arianwen that needed to be convinced, it was the rest of the War Councilors in Wales – the people that had voted her uncle into the Warden of the South position. Convincing them would not be easy at all.

* * *

"Good evening, comrades." Voldemort greeted, the Death Eaters muttering greetings in return.

"We've made significant progress in eradicating the resistance in England and Scotland and yet I am hearing reports of discontent amongst the councilors of Wales. Tell me _Lord_ Gwydion," Voldemort's red eyes rested upon Dafydd's cringing form. Draco glowered at the coward from under his hood.

"This man is descended from kings," Voldemort addressed the room at large, "and yet," his tone took on a more dangerous note, "we have still not taken Wales. Do tell us, my Lord," he said derisively, the other Death Eaters snickering at the Welshman's expense "Are you so useless that your own countrymen won't support you? Or perhaps you don't want your Lord to liberate your country from the mudblood filth?"

"No, no! My Lord! I want nothing more. Your victory is my greatest desire, but some of my fellows are being confused by my neice-"

"Your neice! A girl! Pathetic."

"We share the same blood, the girl has been granted my title, some councilors believe her to have a greater claim to the Wardenship than I."

"And does she? Maybe we've backed the wrong player." Draco recognised Bellatrix's voice as she mocked the other man.

Dafydd ignored her, his eyes still fixed on his master. "They are but weak minded fools, my Lord. They can be easily swayed to our cause-"

"What's taking so long then?" A voice from the crowd jeered.

"Interesting of you to contribute, Amycus, considering the amount of resistance that you're still facing in Hogwarts. Children, no less! Tell me, has this girl been dealt with as I requested?"

Draco noticed the stumpy form of Amycus' sister Alecto step forward. "My Lord, we have been keeping her in detention and have people watching her round the clock!"

"Ah yes," Voldemort said, his mouth twisting into a callous smirk. "You are fond of your detentions, aren't you Alecto? I assume your usual methods are continuing to be effective?"

Draco swallowed hard, remembering what Blaise had said about the Carrows predaliction for physical punishment. _I am going to fucking kill them._ He imagined beating them bloody with his bare hands, the idea bringing him a brief spark of happiness.

Alecto took a half step backwards, an obvious retreat. "Uh-well, we still haven't got any useful information from the girl-" Voldemort span around to face Alecto directly, sensing his wrath, she covered her tracks quickly, "but we have heard reports of her leaving the castle frequently, possibly returning to Wales!"

"Is this true?" Voldemort addressed Snape, who had thus far been keeping out of it.

"As per your instructions my Lord, I have entrusted this responsibility to the Carrows. I personally do not see any threat from the girl, she is talented, certainly, but how much harm can she do when she isn't even in Wales."

"Then where does the blame lie, Serverus?" Voldemort asked him, the other Death Eaters drawing in breath collectively, knowing that Snape's next move could be a death sentence.

"I would suggest," Snape drawled, unaffected, "that Lord Gwydion ought to focus his efforts on quelling the resistance to his election and completing the real goal of consolidating the Welsh armies for your command."

Voldemort paused, considering Snape's words. "Very well," he moved his wand lazily, flicking it in the direction of Dafydd. "Crucio."

* * *

 **A/N:** **Please review, I'll love you forever!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, thanks for continuing to read!**


	31. Chapter Thirty-One: Escape

**Chapter Thirty-One: Escape**

"I don't understand what we're supposed to achieve from this meeting." Aneirin grumbled as he and his father, the Duke of Gwynedd and Warden of the North, approached Flintshire Castle, in which the other councilors were gathering for a meeting. Tensions in Wales had been running high after the Death Eater attack in Montgomeryshire, and despite the Councilors moto of "Unity, Peace and Prosperity", the country had never been so divided. Understandably, Montgomery wanted revenge for the act of terror, but as there was no proof that Dafydd had played a part in the plot, there was very little that could be done apart from trying to get those who had voted against Arianwen to change their stance.

"I've told you time and again, son, Lord Gwydion wants peace." The Duke insisted.

Aneirin scoffed and his father looked at him disapprovingly. "You are far too distrustful Aneirin, that is not a good quality for a man who will inherit my position. A good son should support his father in all of his endeavors, I am deeply disappointed in you for pledging your allegiance to the Gwydion girl over myself. Don't give me any more reason to disown you than I already have."

"The Duchess," Aneirin said pointedly, disproving of his father's blatant disregard for Arianwen's new title, "seems to be the only person who can see Dafydd for what he is, he wants peace no more than a house elf wants freedom. And if a good son is one that blindly follows his father regardless of his single-mindedness, then perhaps you should disown me."

Aneirin's father was not given the opportunity to respond for at that same moment, the great oaken doors swung open to reveal a number of councilors and their heir's gathered around the strategy table in the vast stone chamber of Flintshire's abode.

"Ah, Llewyn and Aneirin Elisedd, how nice of you to join us." Lord Gwydion greeted them, gesturing towards their seats smoothly. They took their places, and Aneirin glanced around at the others present.

"Now that our final guests have arrived, shall we begin?" Earl Flintshire offered.

"We are still waiting on one are we not?" Duke Montgomery interjected gruffly, looking at Earl Flintshire and Lord Gwydion with distaste.

Dafydd Gwydion arranged his face into a perplexed frown before responding innocently, "oh? Who might that be?"

"You know very well who that is, Lord Gwydion." Marquess Brecknockshire chided in. "Your niece is missing, the Duchess of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. She too is a war councilor, she should be here."

A few of the other lords murmured their agreement, all looking to Dafydd to hear his justification. "The _Duchess,"_ Dafydd uttered the word as though it were dirty, "is in boarding school and is therefore unable to attend."

"A school you forced her to attend." Aneirin spoke calmly but the distrust was evident in his voice. "Seems convenient, does it not, that you continue to hold council meetings she is unable to attend."

"My dear boy," Dafydd patronized, "we are here because we have a matter of great importance to discuss, a matter that should not wait another day. My Lords," Dafydd addressed the room at large, effectively quashing Aneirin's rebellion, "our national security is under threat. Our friend, Duke Montgomery, had a village destroyed because of our inability to act."

The room stirred, the horror of the attack in Montgomeryshire had been brutal and many had witnessed it with their own eyes.

"Gentlemen, what I am about to ask is not easy, and I do so having fully considered both the merits and the consequences. What I ask is that we join forces with the Dark Lord of England to conquer our foes."

A moment of silence.

Then, uproar.

"How dare you suggest such a thing!"

"Madness!"

"You wish to condemn us?"

Dafydd held his hands up to silence the lords, speaking again once the room had settled down. "The Dark Lord sees value in our people, we have the purest bloodlines, the strongest children and the most beautiful women. We have superior educations and our warriors have a greater command of the dark arts than many of the Dark Lord's own followers. What the Dark Lord wants is to mirror our society across the whole of the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, in time reaching the outermost corners of the world."

Montgomery rose to his feet angrily. "Then tell me why my village was ransacked? Why were my people murdered?"

Dafydd looked at him sadly. "The Dark Lord is many things, but patient he is not. We must pledge our armies to him, and we must do so today. It is the only way to prevent further…avoidable losses."

"Never. To agree to this would be to commit treason!" Montgomery implored his peers.

"Oh I don't know about that," came a sleek voice from the shadows. Theodore Nott Snr. approached the table, pulling a scroll from his inner cloak pocket. "To deny the Dark Lord would be to commit treason, you would be condemning your countrymen to die."

All along the walls of the chamber, Death Eaters emerged, their hoods down and faces exposed. They surrounded the councilors and whilst their wands were not yet exposed, it was clear that they had not come in peace.

"Mr. Nott here has brought along a very important document for us all to sign. In doing so we will be pledging our armies to the Dark Lord to use in whichever way he sees fit. Now I must warn you, that this document works much in the same was as an unbreakable vow; if you betray the Dark Lord, you do so at the cost of your life."

"But I don't believe anyone here to be a traitor, so I state this merely as a disclaimer." Dafydd finished. "Now who would like to be the first to sign? He asked cheerily.

Nobody moved.

"Alright," Dafydd said, there was an edge to his tone now, a threatening edge. "I'll sign first."

"And whose armies are you pledging exactly?" Gwyn's father, the Earl of Monmouthsire jeered. "You do not even preside over a county, my lord."

Dafydd's expression blackened. "I am Warden of the South. My participation is vital."

"A position that can be easily repealed." Aneirin's father, the Duke of Gwynedd and Warden of the North warned. Aneirin looked at him in surprise, his father had voted Lord Gwydion into his position after all.

"Indeed," Dafydd sneered, "perhaps you ought to heed the same warning, Duke."

Aneirin saw his father's hand move carefully into his robes and tighten, he assumed, around the handle of his wand.

"Perhaps you would like to lead the pledge, Duke?"

Aneirin's father stood slowly, he moved around the table to where the parchment was placed and lifted the quill with his left hand. Swiftly, he pushed the tip of his wand in his right hand against the quill and grimaced as it burst into flames. He allowed it to drop to the floor before raising his wand to Dafydd's chest.

"Let it be known that I made a mistake voting for Lord Gwydion as Warden of the South. I call for a revote! And I assure you that my vote will lie with the Duchess, Arianwen Gwydion, whose dedication to our country has never faltered."

It wasn't Dafydd that spoke next but Nott. "Then your fate is sealed, my friend." In one swift movement, he raised his wand and cried, "Avada Kedavera!"

Llewyn Elisedd's body went limp in an instant, it thudded to the floor, his wand clattering down beside him, echoing in the silent chamber. Aneirin's mouth fell agape, a dreadful weight was crushing him from all sides and he clutched at his chest, realization of his loss dawning devastatingly on him. "No!" he cried, his voice raspy, a thick lump filling his throat.

"TRAITOR!" Montgomery bellowed. And suddenly the chamber filled with action, spells flying everywhere as the Welshmen furiously avenged their fellow.

Aneirin couldn't fight, he couldn't do anything accept run.

* * *

It was rare that Arianwen went to breakfast nowadays, she preferred to wake up early and practice the methods of defense and attack that she'd been learning in the Tower, or work on a new potion for her supplies. However, being the last Friday of term, Arianwen decided she ought to show up and was now sitting amongst her classmates, watching Archimedes fly over to her and settle himself down on top of a jar of plum jam. She smiled at him softly, stroking his glossy white feathers with the back of her fingers. He hooted happily at her, then held out his leg so she could untie the Welsh newspaper and a letter from it.

"Thank you Archie," she cooed, offering him a corner of her toast before unfurling the newspaper. Her eyes grew wide instantly, an image of the Dark Mark glaring back at her ominously. Quickly getting over the initial shock, her eyes flew to the headline _'Death Eater attack in Flintshire – Duke dead!'_

"What've you got there?" Blaise asked sharply, drawing the group's attention to Arianwen's state of shock. He peered over her shoulder to read it and while he couldn't understand the writing with it all being in Welsh, the image of the Dark Mark needed no translation. "What's happened?" he enquired, much softer this time.

Arianwen shook her head, "I don't know, I don't know" she repeated, frantically tearing open the pages until she hit page five, where the main article had been given a double spread, the horrifying image of the Dark Mark taking centre stage. There were only two dukes in Wales, Aneirin's father and Montgomery. Her eyes darted over the words, trying to pick out a name but it was no use, too many names had been mentioned in the piece for her to know for sure. She took a steadying breath, then brought her eyes to the top of the page, forcing herself to read the entire article.

 _A War Council meeting last night was targeted by Death Eaters, resulting in the death of a nobleman and many others injured, an eyewitness reported. The Council meets regularly to discuss all matters of state, though it is thought that last night's meeting was a war convention, brought together to debate increasingly fraying ties with England. Held in Earl Flitshire's principal residence, Flitshire Castle, it is unknown how the Death Eaters gained entrance. Our eyewitness, who requested to remain unnamed, claims that the recently appointed Warden of the South hopes to ally with the 'Dark Lord's' or 'Lord Voldemort's' forces in England, though this proposal was met with resistance and a physical fight ensued. The body of the Duke Elisedd of Gwynedd was found by authorities as they arrived upon the scene, lying face down in his own blood. Authorities suspect the duke was hit by the killing curse, falling forward and cracking his head on the floor, though this is disputed by Lord Gwydion and Earl Flintshire, who claim the duke slipped and fell. An inquest is expected to be held shortly, headed by Duke Montgomery, Warden of Mid-Wales, who was also at the scene._

 _The whereabouts of the duke's son, Marquess Aneirin Elisedd, is unknown, however as it is claimed he was at the scene, authorities warn the public to prepare themselves that he may also be dead. Duke Montgomery will make a speech later today at the Sengenydd and is likely to announce new elections for Warden of the North, in Marquess Aneirin's absence._

Arianwen placed the paper down, unable to read another word through her rage. She cast her eyes to the other bit of mail she'd received that morning, a rolled up bit of parchment, held together by a waxy red seal. Picking the parchment up, she peeled the seal off and uncurled the note.

 _Arianwen,_

 _I have no doubt that you will have already heard the news. Last night some Death Eaters attacked us, they did not have to force entry to Flintshire's home, they were invited. They killed my father. My mother-_

There was a tear in the page where Aneirin must have pressed so hard that his quill ripped the parchment.

 _-My mother has joined your uncle, apparently she knew the plan all along._

 _I think some others are injured, although I don't know details, I didn't stick around long. I am merely writing to inform you that your elf has granted me hospitality in your home – Ty Myddfai. I trust you'll understand why I cannot go home yet._

 _With thanks,_

 _Aneirin._

It was formal and apart from the small tear, his writing had not quivered once, his speech immaculate, unemotional, but Arianwen knew the pain he must be feeling all too well, the news brought the death of Arianwen's own father to the fore of her mind. She swallowed hard and sucked in a long, steadying breath. Feeling eyes upon her, she looked up to the teacher's table at the front of the hall. There, looking down at her with matching expressions of sickly glee, were the Carrows; they must have known all about the plot as well.

So many emotions were stirring inside her, she wanted revenge and the Carrows looked like an attractive place to start. She'd just lurched from her seat when she was halted by a soft hoot; slowly, she turned to Archimedes who was standing on Aneirin's note, his soft amber eyes imploring her quietly.

She sighed. He was right, Aneirin was the priority, and she could exact her revenge later. Ignoring Blaise's calls for her to stop and tell him what was going on, she pelted out of the great hall and across the entrance hall, her feet carrying her directly to Snape's office.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

"You have to make her leave, she's not safe here!" Draco yelled, slamming his fist down on Snape's desk and earning himself a cold glare in response.

"I cannot _make_ the Gwydion girl leave, Draco-"

"Of course you fucking can!" Draco interrupted hotly. "Just expel her or something!"

Snape blew air through his nose irritatedly, his eyes following the agitated Malfoy as he paced across his office. Attempting to keep his already fraying patience somewhat intact, it was another minute before he responded. "The Dark Lord wants her here, he is curious about her and wants to keep her in his sights, as you well know. Expelling the girl is not an option."

Draco turned on his heel to glower at Snape. "There must be something you can do?" He knew how desperate he sounded, how weak Snape must have thought him, but the thought of harm coming to Arianwen was enough to allow him to forget his pride. "Please? Please help me?"

A glimmer of sorrow glittered in the professor's eyes, a rare moment of empathy connecting him to the distraught Malfoy boy before him. "I will not expel the girl," Snape started slowly, his voice barely above a whisper, "but the Dark Lord is aware that she has been successful in leaving the castle on a number of occasions, perhaps if she were to _pop out_ again and not return…"

Draco stared wide-eyed at Snape, was he telling _him_ to smuggle her out?

A knock at the door interrupted them, and without waiting for a response, the perpetrator barged into the office.

* * *

All the momentum that had taken Arianwen through the castle and into Snape's office was suddenly halted by the sight of Draco, who was watching her warily. Ignoring the painful lurch in her chest that she felt every time she laid eyes on him, she opened her mouth to address the headmaster.

"Oh Severus!" It wasn't Arianwen's voice that called Snape's name but Alecto's, and her footsteps were clattering down the corridor toward them. "Headmaster!" She called again, gleefully.

"Professor Snape-" Arianwen began, but Snape cut her off.

"Quickly, Draco."

Draco nodded, understanding the urgency Snape had implied. If anyone saw him in the castle, he could be tied to Arianwen's escape and brought before the Dark Lord. He had to act fast.

He pointed his wand at Arianwen and stunned her silently, catching her body before it thudded to the ground. Pointing his wand at her for a second time, he transfigured her into a mouse, scooped her up off the floor and pocketed her. Then, with Alecto's footsteps right outside the office, Draco grabbed a handful of Floo powder, threw it into Snape's fireplace and said clearly but quietly, "Diagon Alley."

As soon as his feet hit the stone floor of one of the many public fireplaces in Diagon Alley, Draco swept out, pulling his hood up to hide his face.

 _Not that there's anyone here anyway,_ he thought grimly. The shopping district received barely any traffic these days, people were too scared to leave their houses. It was a convenient phenomenon today however, for Draco did not wish to be seen. He walked quickly to the town square, where he knew he would be able to apparate. Then as he reached it, and with a quick glance around to ensure he hadn't been detected, he turned tightly on the ball of his foot and apparated out.

They arrived a moment later in a windy field, with only an oak tree for shelter. It was there that he took the tiny mouse out of his pocket, placed it carefully on the ground and cast a reverse-transfiguration spell. In reversing her transfigured state, he also reversed the stunning spell, and Arianwen sprung into action. With one quick movement, she'd pulled her dagger from its sheath at her back, twisted his arm behind his back and pushed him roughly against the tree, the blade cutting into his throat.

"Where you there?" She screamed, despite her face being mere inches away from his own. "Did you attack my friends? Did you kill Duke Elisedd?"

Barely able to move without sinking Arianwen's blade deeper into his throat, Draco responded gruffly, "No! I swear it!"

Arianwen stared deep into his eyes, her own eyes ablaze with wretched anger and disgust. Draco stared defiantly back, opening his mind so that she could examine it if that was her will.

She didn't. Whatever she had seen in his eyes was enough, for she backed away slowly, releasing his throat of her knife but keeping it firmly out in front of her nevertheless. For the first time she looked around, taking in her surroundings. It was familiar, very familiar; the air tasted sweet, the wind whipping around them in a dance that Arianwen knew well.

"Home," she said softly, smiling despite herself. She took another long look at the field they had landed in, knowing it was just a few miles from Myddfai House, before bringing her attention back to Draco. "I don't understand." Was all she said.

"I don't expect you to," Draco responded simply.

"Right…" Arianwen looked around, feeling awkward for the first time. "Uh, so I guess I'm just going to go…"

"No, you're not. We've got somewhere to be." Arianwen simply blinked, waiting for him to continue. "There's a child isn't there?"

It was like ice had been poured down her back. She froze, a thousand questions racing through her mind at once. Seeming to understand this, Draco spoke calmly. "You don't need to worry but you do need to act. The Dark Lord is becoming increasingly interested in the child, your uncle believes him to possess some," he paused, deciding on the right word to use, " _dark_ capabilities. Capabilities the Dark Lord could capitalize on. Not to mention that the child can secure your uncle's status as Warden of South Wales, legitimizing him in the minds of other influential lords who are yet to pledge allegiance to the Dark Lord."

Arianwen nodded. "But what are you suggesting I do exactly? The child is safe-"

"The child cannot be safe unless he's with you!" Draco cut in urgently. "You have to be the one to guard the child, make him yours, make it impossible for your uncle to claim him himself."

It was a lot to take in, Draco was basically telling her she had to become a mother overnight and somehow alter Lloyd's genetic makeup at the same time. "What if I'm not ready? I won't be able to finish school, I won't be able to provide for him, I won't be able to-"

"Arianwen," Draco's voice was stern, "it's your only hope if you want any family left." He knew he'd hit home with that one; for as long as he'd known Arianwen he'd seen how much she had craved a family.

"Okay," she sounded determined, "okay lets do it. I'll apparate us there."

Draco closed the gap between them and laced her arm in his, his mind fogging somewhat by their proximity. Then, with an almighty jerk, they were plunged into darkness, arriving moments later in North Wales.

* * *

 **A/N:** Evening lovelies! Sorry this has been so long coming, I've really really been suffering with writers block - I know what I want to happen I've just been having difficulties making it happen. In fact, I think this might be the fourth attempt at this chapter...it's been a real pain! So as always I would really appreciate (and do appreciate) your reviews, follows and favourites. Have a wonderful week!

P.S: the next chapter will have a lot of Arianwen/Draco time but lets not forget that she's still technically with Gwyn...any thoughts on what she should do about that?


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two: Reunited

**A/N: Huge thank you to Llgx for reviewing, hopefully this chapter will fulfil what you wanted to happen to some extent :)**

 **Welcome, to all my new followers and favouriters! This chapter showcases the ever changing state of Draco's mood at the moment, I hope you can all keep up.**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Two: Reunited**

Draco closed the gap between them and laced her arm in his, his mind fogging somewhat by their proximity. Then, with an almighty jerk, they were plunged into darkness, arriving moments later in North Wales.

This time they arrived on a hill in North Wales that Arianwen recognised well, she'd spent much time with Aneirin there over the years. Draco released her quickly, causing Arianwen to scoff and roll her eyes. "Don't worry, Malfoy, I'm not going to try and shag you if you touch me for more than ten seconds."

For the first time in a long time, Draco smiled. "It's cute that you think that."

Arianwen raised her eyebrows disbelievingly. "Lets not forget how quickly I replaced you," she said in a sing-song voice, enjoying the cloudy look that wiped the smirk off his face. "Now, I'd advise you put your hood up if you don't want to be murdered any time soon."

Draco complied, blowing air through his nose moodily, though not saying anything more on the subject. It didn't take them long to find the house, the place where Arianwen's baby cousin was being guarded was actually in the middle of a busy village. The house was small, but pleasant looking, Arianwen noticed, a good place for the boy to grow up, if circumstances had been different; but as it was, he was in danger, and Arianwen needed to keep one step ahead of Dafydd if they were to have any chance of winning the war.

"Do you think they're just gonna let me take him?" Arianwen said, as they made their way up towards the house. The late afternoon sun was barely illuminating the fields so there were lights on in all the windows, throwing yellow squares of light out across the street.

"I don't see why not," Draco shrugged one shoulder, casting his eyes around for shadows that didn't belong. "You left him with them; they always knew this was going to be a temporary arrangement."

"Still," Arianwen said, frowning into the growing darkness. "He's just a baby. What if they've grown attached?"

"They'll listen to you," Draco said. "They're poor, not stupid. They know the war is bad. They're not going to let one kid threaten their entire family."

Arianwen didn't reply, but doubts still bothered her. She was a duchess, sure, but she was also still very young to be appearing on their doorstep, demanding a child, and waltzing off into a war.

The young man that opened the door to her knocking was plain but friendly-looking, older than her and Draco, but not by much.

"Huw," she said.

"My Lady," Huw said, sounding surprised. "We, uh, we weren't expecting you."

"Can we come in?" Draco said, sounding peevish. Huw started and coloured, belatedly remembering his manners.

"Yes, yes of course. Sorry." He stepped back to hold the door open for them, and Arianwen could hear the sounds of people upstairs. "Make yourselves at home?" Huw said, as though it was a question. "Mum and Dad are putting the little kids to bed upstairs."

"I'm sorry, Huw," Arianwen said, putting her hand on his arm. "But we're not staying."

"Ah," he said, "you've, uh, you've come for Lloyd, then."

"I hope he hasn't given you any trouble," Arianwen said. "I promise to reward your family for your assistance, when the war is over."

"Oh, no," Huw said, "no, he's been great — there was one thing with the rabbit, but apart from that—"

"What 'thing with the rabbit'?" Draco said, sharply.

"Uh," said Huw, scratching the back of his head, "fox got at one of Gethin's pet rabbits? And Lloyd like," he gestured, vaguely, as though smoothing his hands over imaginary fur, "and the rabbit was fine again."

"Was it dead?" Arianwen said.

"I mean, it looked it," Huw said, "but it can't've been, right? Not even royal blood brings bunnies back to life," he adds, grinning awkwardly at them.

"I'm sorry," Arianwen said, again, "but it's better if we don't stay long; can you go—?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, I'll go get him." Huw doesn't move, however, and after a beat of silence, he said, "why do you need to take him? Sorry, my Lady, I know he's your family, but he's such a little guy, and I don't see—"

"You're not taking him." A round faced woman stood at the top of the stairs, clutching Lloyd in her arms, cradling him against her chest. "He's just a baby, and he's staying right here."

"Come on, mam," said Huw. "The Lady left him with us, and now she's come to get him. He's not ours to keep."

"I'm not letting him go," said the woman. "It's too dangerous, I can keep him safe."

"Mam," said Huw, more insistently, throwing a worried look at Arianwen.

"No."

"Mrs Pryce," Arianwen started, trying to be reasonable.

"He's my son," Draco said. Arianwen stared at him in total confusion, but Draco threw her a dark look, demanding that she stay silent, and Arianwen realised his plan; that the only way that Mrs Pryce was going to give up the baby would be if a parent laid claim, and that parent could hardly be her.

* * *

They were halfway back towards the cover of the trees to Apparate away when Huw caught up with them, his coat half on, panting.

"Sorry," he said.

"Did we forget something?" Draco said, archly, and Arianwen wondered how much of his foul mood was having to lay claim to the baby, or the fact that he was now having to hold him to compound his lie, looking very uncomfortable at the small, pink thing in his arms.

"No, no," Huw said. "I was just wondering if you'd mind me coming with you? I haven't seen Lord Aneirin since…it happened."

"Yes," said Draco, at the same moment Arianwen said, "No, of course not." She looked sharply at Draco, adding, "do you know anything about how to look after your son, Draco, or did I miss all your years of experience with child rearing?"

Draco scowled, and Huw looked like he was trying to hide a smile.

"Come on," Arianwen said. "You can side-by-side with me."

* * *

Aneirin was waiting for them when they arrived; he had been staying with Arianwen since his father's death, unwilling to remain in his family's house whilst his grief was still so raw, and Arianwen could see the signs of it in his face now, dark circles from lack of sleep, eyes red-rimmed and raw.

"Huw!" he said, surprised, looking to Arianwen as though he needed her permission to go to his boyfriend. She smiled encouragingly, grateful that Huw was there to give her friend comfort at such a dreadful time.

"Hi Nei," Huw said. "How're you doing?"

Aneirin gave him an exhausted look. "I was hoping I could avoid people asking me that." he said.

"Right," said Huw, sheepishly, and then, turning to Draco, said, "do you want me to take him?"

Draco handed the child over gladly, though it appeared little Lloyd wasn't so happy to be taken away from Draco's embrace for he promptly began wailing and wriggling as Huw attempted to soothe him.

"Oh dear," Arianwen said, "perhaps I ought to settle him while the two of you catch up." She took the baby back off Huw and bounced him gently on her hip, calming him quickly. She smiled as he watched her contentedly, enjoying seeing the Gwydion eyes in someone other than her uncle, but before long he had let out a series of yawns, snuggled into her breast and closed his eyes again.

When she looked back at her surroundings, she realised it was only she and Draco left in the entrance hall, Aneirin and Huw must have retreated to whichever room he'd chosen to occupy. "You should go and put him to bed," Draco advised, "I assume there's a nursery in the house somewhere?"

Arianwen nodded. "Yes, just down the corridor from my room actually." She looked at him awkwardly. "Uh, did you want to come?"

Draco snorted derisively. "Just because I told that family that I'm the father, doesn't mean I intend to have anything to do with it."

It took a lot of restraint for Arianwen to not get angry with him but after everything he'd done for her that day, she decided it would be best to control herself. "You didn't have to do that."

"Actually, I did. That woman was getting hysterical over him!"

"Well," Arianwen sighed, "thank you."

Draco smiled tightly. "I should be going now."

"Just like that?" Arianwen asked, alarmed. "There's no need to rush off."

A satisfied smirk spread across his lips. "As touching as it is that you seem incapable to detach yourself from me, I'm afraid I am needed elsewhere." He moved to place his hand on the front door but turned back to her before he had pushed it open. "You should make it your priority to find a way to alter the child's DNA to mirror your own rather than your uncle's. He already bears greater resemblance to Lord Gwydion than yourself, he should not be seen by anyone else until he has been changed."

Arianwen nodded thoughtfully, it took very old magic to alter a person's DNA, finding the right spell or potion to use would not be easy. Another thought suddenly popped into her head and she voiced it worriedly. "But you've just gone and told that family that you're Lloyd's father, surely I can't carry on telling people that?"

Draco merely shrugged. "You'll have to tell people who the father is, they won't be satisfied with only knowing you're the mother, especially as no one even saw you when you would've been pregnant."

She looked at him in bewilderment. "And you're happy for that person to be you? Aren't you supposed to hate me?"

"I do, but what's done is done. If you continue to change the story, it will become even less believable than it already is. I'd obviously prefer it if my name weren't mentioned but if absolutely necessary I will permit you to call the child my bastard."

Lloyd shifted in Arianwen's arms, grumbling slightly in discomfort. "Go and put that bloody child to bed before he wakes up, I'll see myself out."

"Right," Arianwen agreed, "well thanks again, Draco." It was a welcome excuse to rush off, she really didn't fancy sticking round for any further awkward conversation and she fancied the idea of a sleepless night due to a restless baby even less.

* * *

Arianwen returned to her room after putting Lloyd to bed and setting up a baby monitor. She closed the door behind her with a sigh. It had been a long day. She fumbled through her pyjamas draw until she found a soft cotton nightdress and changed into it gladly, smoothing out a few wrinkles in the fabric absently. It was a good thing she had a large fireplace in her room, whose fire had been lit upon her arrival, for it was freezing outside. The flames cast a welcoming glow upon the room that Arianwen had dearly missed, there really was no place like home. Moving toward her dresser, she watched herself in the mirror as she pulled her hair down from its bun and gently tugged a brush through its lengths, the loose curls bouncing up as the bristles passed through. A small knock at her bedroom door disturbed her from her trance however, and she went to answer it hastily, surprised to be interrupted at such an hour.

Opening the door a crack she peeked out, her brows furrowing at the sight of a very unsure yet very sure looking Draco. She pulled the door open fully at fixed a questioning gaze at him. "I thought you'd left?"

"Yes, I had," Draco started, drawing himself up and fixing his face to make it seem he had returned with confidence. "I have something I wanted to tell you."

"Oh," was all Arianwen managed. "Oh right, well-uh you'd better come in then." She stood back from the door to allow him entry and then closed it behind him, pausing with her back to him for a few moments to take a few deep breaths; even after everything that had happened between them, having Draco in her bedroom made her nervous beyond belief.

"This won't take long," Draco said plainly once she'd turned to face him, "I just thought I should let you know that I'm going away." He clasped his hands behind his back, suddenly very aware of his limbs and how long and awkward they felt.

"You're going away," Arianwen repeated slowly.

"Yes." Draco nodded once for confirmation.

"Well, um, where are you going?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"Uh…" he considered the question for a moment before responding, "I'm not sure my destination is particularly important but what might hold significance is that I may not be coming back."

Arianwen blinked, taken aback. She clutched more tightly at her chest, a whirlwind of emotions causing her head to spin. "I don't understand. Where are you going? And why would you not come back? Are you going into hiding? Is your family going with you?" She stopped, clearing her throat quietly in an attempt to get her voice to return to normal, else she would come across frantic.

"I'm going alone, to Bulgaria, if you must know." Draco said calmly. Somehow Arianwen's increasing panic allowed him to regain control of himself.

"To Bulgaria?" Arianwen repeated. "Alone?" She rubbed her temples, trying to make sense of what he was saying. Slowly however, it was all clicking into place and her hands dropped from her head, a great sense of dread overwhelming her, making her whole body feel like a dead weight. "Draco," she choked, "are you not coming back out of choice or are you expecting to-" she swallowed hard, willing herself not to cry, "-to-to die?"

"Indeed." He bent his head forward in agreement, his demeanour composed regardless of the raucous anxiety within.

"Oh!" she cried. "Oh, Draco!" Not knowing what to do or what to say, she instinctively paced up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest. He didn't respond but didn't reject her either, so the pair stood in an awkward one-sided embrace until it become so surreal that Arianwen pulled away.

Draco, who was still standing in close proximity to his ex-girlfriend, found himself lifting his hands and placing them on either side of her face, studying it intensely.

"You really are exceptionally beautiful, you know," he commented thoughtfully. Arianwen's cheeks flushed scarlet, she hadn't been expecting such a compliment. It was the most gentle he'd been with her in months; he was scanning her face meticulously, as though painting a picture in his mind with a very fine brush. Yet despite their intimacy and her racing pulse, Arianwen could not be distracted from the very strong sense of wariness at the oddity of the situation. Everything seemed so convenient: the way Draco had shown up at the castle at the exact moment she'd entered Snape's office just to whisk her off to get Lloyd on his command, and then return her to her house where he was calling her beautiful and yet avoiding her attempts at physical contact.

"Draco?" Arianwen asked quietly. "Why did you want me to move Lloyd from where he was hidden?"

His cool grey eyes narrowed, evidently suspicious himself. "Why do you think?"

A clever response, ask a question to answer a question. "Oh I don't know," Arianwen said slowly, "anyone would think you were trying to protect me."

Draco merely raised one perfectly formed eyebrow in response.

"And if you were trying to protect me, it would follow that you'd want to protect Lloyd. You must know that I would act rashly if I found out he was in immediate danger, and you undoubtedly believe that I would slip up somehow, come to some kind of harm?"

His expression still had not cracked, he remained perfectly calm and aggravatingly silent. Determined to get some answers, she probed further. "And if all of those things are true, well, there really can only be one explanation."

Curiosity finally piqued enough to respond, he simply asked, "Oh?"

Arianwen smirked triumphantly. Taking a step towards him, she stood on the tip of her toes and let her lips brush ever so slightly against his earlobe. "You're still in love with me."

The young Malfoy laughed coldly, the mirth not reaching his eyes. "Pitiful," he mocked. "Are you really so obsessed with me that you're still finding feelings where they don't exist?" He smirked at the obvious rage brewing under her skin, enjoying how easily he could rile her up. "Or is it that you can't get any decent cock now that I'm not around?"

"Why are you still here?" She countered, her fists balling. "Why don't you just leave if you really have no feelings for me whatsoever?"

Draco rolled his eyes, sighing as though explaining something to a rather obtuse child. "Because I promised my mother that I would help you retrieve this miracle child before I went on my little trip."

Arianwen folded her arms across her chest defiantly. "That didn't answer my question. Why don't you want to answer my question, Draco? Is it because I'm right and you're too much of a coward to admit it? Too pathetic to admit to your master that you love a disgusting Welsh girl?"

"WHEN WILL YOU GET IT INTO YOUR THICK HEAD THAT I DO NOT LOVE YOU?" Draco roared, Arianwen's goading finally fuelling a suitable reaction.

Neither of them spoke for a long while after that. They simply glared at each other, each wanting to stand their ground longer than the other. Eventually however, Arianwen released her arms from their folded grip across her chest and let them fall loosely by her sides. She suddenly seemed incredibly calm and watched the blonde boy with deadly composure. "Prove it," she said finally, her green eyes fixed dead on Draco's.

"What?" He spat impatiently, his lip curling upwards as it often did when he was irritated.

Eyes never leaving his, she reached up and dropped one strap of her nightgown. His brow furrowed but he didn't move, his eyes flickering between her exposed shoulder and her furious stare.

She pushed the other strap from her shoulder and it fell easily, the gentle fabric pooling noiselessly at her feet. "Prove that you hate me."

Draco's mouth fell agape. There was a long pause where the only movement was his steel eyes digesting every inch of Arianwen's exposed body - but she was impatient. She approached him swiftly, stopping just half a foot away from him and had to crane her neck upwards to match his gaze. She took his hand, smirking as his eyes widened when she placed it between her legs, massaging his fingers into the warm wet velvet. "I want you to fuck me, Draco. I want you to fuck me as your enemy and not your lover." She stepped back, still retreating as she spoke, "but I don't think you can, can you?"

Her taunting had really worked this time; something switched in Draco and suddenly he was undressing and striding towards her in one furious movement. Grabbing the hair on the back of her head, he tilted her head upward and growled into her ear, "I loathe you, whore."

With no effort, he clasped his hands around the backs of her thighs and thrust her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist. He slammed her against the nearest wall, using one arm to hold her up and the other to massage her clitoris. He brought his lips to her neck, kissing and biting her skin roughly, then did the same to her breasts. It was a miracle that he didn't draw blood with the ferocity that he was using to suck them, scraping the nipples with his teeth, encouraged by her spluttered gasps and groans. He wasted no time in penetrating her, his dick so hard that he thought he would cum at any moment. With jagged thrusts, he forced himself deeper and deeper inside of her but she didn't break, she wouldn't moan for him. "Is that the best you can do?" She panted. "Gwyn does me so much better."

Draco let out a strange strangled cry. He hauled her to her high bed, throwing her down and turning her over so that her face was pressed onto the bed sheets. "Shut the fuck up." He snarled, entering her again and thrusting with such force and speed that Arianwen wasn't sure if she was in great pain or great pleasure. After a battery of ever more fervent thrusts from behind, her body betrayed her: she let out a series of long, high-pitched moans and clawed her hands into the bed covers, pushing back to allow him even better access to her g-spot. He couldn't control himself, an overwhelming crash of pleasure forced his cum to spill inside of her and moments later he had collapsed onto the bed, panting as though he'd just sprinted a marathon. Arianwen rolled over, looking him over as she caught her breath. Not wanting it to end so quickly, she folded her fingers around the base of his penis and began tugging and turning and squeezing. She was oddly impressed with how quickly the length hardened and looked back at Draco, who had been watching her hungrily. "Suck it," he commanded.

She obliged. Enclosing the slippery length in her mouth, she sucked it savagely, stopping only when his breath had become ragged so that she could take control and replace her mouth with her vagina without any protest. Lunging smoothly into his dick, she worked up a fast-paced rhythm, deepened by Draco arching his hips at the same time. He couldn't believe the view he was experiencing, her breasts were bouncing against her ribs, small beads of sweat gathering on her chest and forming an ethereal glow upon her skin under the firelight. He reached up and grasped one firmly, then used his other hand to push a few fingers into her mouth. She sucked it wantonly, their eyes meeting as each got off on the other one's pleasure. Then, suddenly, she bit down so hard on his fingers that she drew blood. Yelping in pain, Draco retaliated by clawing his nails down her chest, his blood mixing with some of her own before her wound swiftly healed before his eyes. His attempt to hurt her had barely even gone noticed by her and he could see her lips parting, her head bending backwards, her climax radiating through every inch of her body.

But Draco wanted to claim her pleasure for his own. He sat up suddenly, tipping her backwards and sliding her legs onto his shoulders. He held her lower back slightly off the bed and pushed down, his penis reaching new depths inside her, the action forcing the most sexual cry, almost a scream, from her lips. Her skin was buzzing underneath him, erupting with a mass of tiny electric shocks that he had never known her to have before. Arianwen was so powerful, he could feel her magic so strongly through her skin that it was almost unbearable and yet so erotic that he could only react by shouting and moaning for more. Finally, he knew he could control himself no longer, and just as her throbbing and contracting had started to ease, he succumbed to his own rampant orgasm.

* * *

When it was over, he pulled out of her and retreated to where her abandoned nightgown lay crumpled on the floor. He threw it in her direction, not able to bring himself to look at her for he knew exactly how she looked at him after sex: it was the most loving, worshipping gaze - even the strongest man would break under it.

After he'd heard the soft sound of the fabric being pulled back over her skin, he forced himself to face her, doing his best to look as hateful as possible. "Do you believe me now?" He rasped.

He saw the weight of the question crush her and she was unable to prevent the rapid onslaught of tears streaming from her eyes. He turned away in disgust – not with her but with himself. All he wanted was to close his arms around her, to tell her he loved her and that he would make everything right, that she wouldn't have to worry about anything ever again.

But of course he could not. He was too weak to protect her. Perhaps if he'd just killed Dumbledore like he was supposed to…

It was a dangerous thought. His family would have had their redemption and they wouldn't now be prisoners in their own home. Arianwen would still be by his side, bathing him in that radiant smile that she saved just for him, proud of his strength and eager to start their lives together.

He looked back at her. She was not smiling like that now. He had broken her, she looked broken. Her head was slumped in her hands, her shoulders still shaking at random intervals.

"I should go." It was all he could manage, he couldn't bear to look at her any longer or he would break down himself.

"Alright," she sniffed.

They walked silently to the huge oak doors in the entranceway of Arianwen's home, remaining silent even when one of the doors opened and Draco stepped out into the icy night for the second time that evening. "Goodbye then," Draco offered weakly.

Slowly, Arianwen lifted her head and allowed him to see her tear-stained face. Her voice was thick with unexpressed emotion when she managed to find her voice. "Goodbye Draco."

He watched her regretfully for another unbearable minute before finally turning and walking away.

"Be safe." The words were barely a whisper but he heard them perfectly, so still was the night. He paused briefly, still with his back to her, and fought an impossible battle with himself, wanting so badly to abandon everything and stay with her. "I still love you Draco," she added painfully, "no matter what." And then the door creaked closed and Arianwen, his love, was gone.


	33. Chapter Thirty-Three: Camouflage

**A/N:** Hello lovely readers! Long time no see! I'm very sorry that it has taken me so long to post this chapter, life has just been so busy that I haven't had the time to really get into writing. I know it must be super annoying and disjointing to have to read a chapter and then have a few months before you read the next one so I've written a few chapters and now have a small bank of them to post consistently. Hopefully this will give me enough time to finish the story without any more long gaps between posting.

I would suggest maybe rereading the previous chapter to refresh yourselves on what's happening but if you cba with that, I've written a quick refresher below:

\- Draco found out that Arianwen was being watched by the Death Eaters in Hogwarts and believed that she was in imminent danger. He warned her to flee Hogwarts and find her baby cousin, bringing him under her personal care.

\- Together, they went to the family that Aneirin had given baby Lloyd to (which was the family of his boyfriend, Huw). They found out that Lloyd had been displaying magical ability, despite his young age, and took him back to Arianwen's house in Carmarthen.

\- Later that evening, Arianwen and Draco got into a big fight which (predictably) resulted in them having angry sex. As ever, Draco was worried that Arianwen would see through the show he'd been making of hating her and try to save him from a life of servitude, he therefore decided to say some pretty nasty things to put her off.

\- As he was leaving, Draco warned Arianwen to find a way to alter Lloyd's DNA so that Dafydd couldn't lay claim to the child (Dafydd wanted to do this to strengthen his claim as Warden of the South and gain the loyalty of the Welsh population, which he then planned to 'sell' to Voldemort in exchange for status and power in the new regime. Draco said that if push came to shove, when being questioned about Lloyd's parentage, Arianwen could say the child was his bastard.

\- Despite all the harsh words Draco had said to Arianwen, she told him that she will always love him and wants him to be safe, much to the agony of Draco, who left the house feeling like a terrible human being.

 **Okay, I hope that helps get you back on track! This chapter picks up directly from where the last one left off, so it's still the same night. Now, please read, enjoy, and review!**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Three: Camouflage**

"Malfoy!" Aneirin hissed. He had snuck out of Arianwen's house after she went to the nursery to tend to the baby, and had chased after Draco's retreating form. "Malfoy wait!"

Draco turned around grudgingly. "What?" He snapped.

Aneirin raised a brow coolly but didn't otherwise react to Draco's tone. "I need to talk to you about the muggleborns."

"Oh," Draco said, feeling a little more receptive now that he knew he wasn't going to be lectured about his treatment of Arianwen. "What about them?"

The Welshman glanced around, making absolutely certain that no one was there. "I need you to change the destination on the portkeys."

Draco glared hard at him. "Change the destination, are you bloody mad? Have you any idea how dangerous it's been to get you those portkeys?"

A number of months prior, Aneirin had convinced Draco to aid him in attempting to create something of an underground network in which Draco used his status as a Death Eater to get valuable information on the names and suspected whereabouts of muggleborns. Aneirin would then attempt to contact them, either personally or through his boyfriend Huw, and provide them with a portkey to a remote area of Snowdonia in North Wales in order to be later moved to other contacts of Aneirin's, who ran safe camps in France, Germany, and Luxembourg. The trouble was portkeys were rather hard to come by as the Snatchers had put a trace against the incantation used to create them, resulting in the easier capture of witches and wizards attempting to flee. That was another area where Draco had come in handy, for the Death Eaters were often required to use portkeys to visit areas out of reach by apparition, and he therefore had a number of contacts he could utilise. His involvement did not come without risks however, as Draco could only rely on heavy bribes to stop the creators of the portkeys from exposing him.

"Of course I'm aware of the dangers, Draco!" Aneirin said quickly, trying to appease him. "But I can't risk sending people to North Wales, not while Lord Gwydion helps your lot gain power there."

Draco had the good grace to look ashamed. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely, "I had no idea they were planning that attack. Your father-"

"-Is dead." Aneirin finished plainly. "There's no need to dwell on it."

Draco reached out braced Aneirin's shoulder comfortingly. "Leave the portkey issue with me, I'll get it sorted."

"Thanks." Aneirin smiled sadly and then stepped back, watching Draco turn to go.

"Oh, and Aneirin?" Draco called back.

"Yeah?"

"If something happens to me- if I die," he shifted uncomfortably, "will you tell Arianwen that I love her and that I'm sorry?"

"I will," Aneirin said softly. He held out his hand to Draco, who shook it, then turned and walked away for good.

* * *

Arianwen watched the baby as he slept; it had taken her a while to get him to drift off as each time she cradled him he tried to latch onto her nipple, even though it was covered in the fabric of her robes. She had given him one of the bottles of milk that Mrs Pryce had given her before they took him away, but that meant that only one bottle remained and she would have to come up with some other method of feeding him. A small knock at the door interrupted her worries in that moment however, and Arianwen looked over her shoulder to see Aneirin entering tentatively.

He walked carefully over to the baby's cot and peered inside. "I sent Huw home," he said after a while.

Arianwen glanced up, confused. "You didn't have to do that! I don't mind him staying here with you, you should be with the people you love."

"I am," he smiled, "and I had a feeling you'd still be up."

She nodded, a bright smile taking over her face at his comment, though it soon faded when she looked back at little Lloyd in his crib. "Draco said I should change his genetics so that I can convince people he's mine but I don't know if it's a good idea."

"Why not? It seems logical enough – people don't like believing things without proof and seeing that so many people close to you haven't seen you with this child, well, I can't see them just accepting that you had a secret baby behind their backs."

"But don't you think it's wrong? To just erase his birth mother's DNA from him?!" Arianwen exclaimed.

"His mother was a neglectful alcoholic who saw her child as a constant reminder of her traumatic experience with your uncle. Surely it would be more wrong to let the child grow up knowing that he was a product of rape and the driver of his own mother's death?"

Tears filled in Arianwen's eyes, she reached down and stroked Lloyd's soft black hair lovingly. "You're right," she said eventually.

" _Draco_ is right," Aneirin corrected pointedly.

Arianwen's lips thinned at the comment. "I thought there was a chance-" she started, "-a chance there might be some good left in him, but there's nothing, he really is one of _them_." She stared angrily at the window beside her, looking as though she was willing the glass to shatter under her gaze.

Aneirin merely mumbled in response. "Right," he said stirringly after a moment, trying to sound chipper, "how are we going to work out this genetics palaver then?"

"I think I know someone who can help." Arianwen's eyes didn't move from the baby's peaceful face. "Her name is Nimue, the Lady of the Lake."

* * *

Whilst Arianwen had caught Aneirin up on her encounters with Nimue, arriving at the Great Tower of Pembroke Castle in the middle of the night was probably not the best way to introduce a man to a man-hater, never mind then convincing her to help them. "Get your wand out but be discrete," Arianwen instructed as she used the rusty old key to unlock the tower door. She'd swaddled the baby into a wrap that stretched around her back and allowed her free use of her arms, and he'd very happily settled into a slumber against her chest.

The door creaked open and Arianwen had not put one foot inside before Nimue had launched herself upon them. "Who is this man you have brought me?" She demanded.

"This is Marquess Aneirin Elisedd, he has come as my companion. You will not harm him if you want to get out of this tower!"

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure about that," Nimue hissed, circling Aneirin with manic glee.

"You will not harm him!" Arianwen repeated loudly, drawing Nimue's attention back to her. It was at this moment that the witch noticed the small bundle huddled into Arianwen's chest.

"A babe?" She asked, her tone now curious rather than aggressive. Slowly, Arianwen unravelled the baby and allowed Nimue to survey him, noticing how her features had softened as he let out a few little contended grunts.

"Yes," Arianwen breathed, allowing Nimue to caress his cheek with the back of her finger. She imaged the witch was probably thinking of her own children, of her three baby boys while she still had them and everything was as simple and pure as a mother's bond with her children should be. She knew she shouldn't but Arianwen couldn't help but feel a great sense of guilt as she watched the elder woman interact with her tiny cousin, who had just awoken and had begun to open his eyes laboriously.

"He has your eyes," Nimue noted. "He is your kin?"

"My cousin," Arianwen nodded.

"And that's what we're here to change," Aneirin added firmly.

Nimue's electric blue eyes hardened instantly at the sound of Aneirin's voice, she mistrusted men, and was right to do so based on how they'd treated her in the past. "Now why would you want to do that?"

"There is a very dangerous man after him, my uncle, in fact," Arianwen started, trying not to sound too rehearsed, they'd prepared the speech on the way to the Tower. "My uncle raped my poor maid and this child, Lloyd, he was born as consequence. My father gave her money and told her to flee when he found out, and so she and the baby went to Scotland, but just as you noted, Lloyd's eyes are just like mine – and unfortunately, just like Uncle Dafydd's. Every time she looked at him she was reminded of my uncle; every time he cried, she was reminded of her own sorrow; and so she turned to alcohol to numb the pain."

"Lloyd was not kept well by the end," Aneirin added, "I went to the maid's cottage myself, the poor child was being neglected. In one of her drunken stupors, Miss Jones must have let slip her story, for it wasn't long before Lord Gwydion discovered where to find her."

"He killed her," Arianwen stated bluntly, "and although dear Aneirin here managed to get to Lloyd in time and take him to a safe place, my uncle is still after the baby."

Nimue's eyes were narrowed as she scrutinised them closely, trying to decide if they were telling the truth. "Why does Lord Gwydion seek the child so fiercely?" She asked, unconvinced.

"I don't know exactly," Arianwen admitted. "I've heard that Uncle thinks Lloyd has some special ability, or at least can be trained in such a manner anyway. You see if Uncle can prove he has an heir, his claim as the head of my house will strengthen considerably, some of the less loyal War Councillors may pledge allegiance to him and in doing so, pledge allegiance to the one they call 'The Dark Lord'. If such an event happens, it will surely mark a lifetime of servitude and slavery for our people."

"So you see, we must act to hide this child's identity in some way." Aneirin finished.

Arianwen held her breath, watching Nimue for any signs of hostility towards their plan. To her relief, Nimue didn't display any such signs, she merely questioned, "and what identity do you wish the child to take?"

"I want him to take my own. I want him to be my son." Arianwen's soft green eyes met Nimue's hard blue ones intensely, she willed the witch to see her determination, to understand her urgency.

Nimue broke their gaze and looked again at the baby in Arianwen's arms, her eyes searching his every appearance. "You wish to erase the mother entirely?" The blonde sighed, she knew it would be a contentious issue; Nimue, despite all her flaws, had been an incredibly devoted mother. To erase any trace of Lloyd's mother would undoubtedly be seen by Nimue to be a great crime.

"I wish to erase them both. It is for his own safety." Arianwen implored. "If he carries only my genes then no one can doubt his heritage."

There was a long pause where neither Aneirin nor Arianwen even dared breathe. Arianwen looked at him helplessly and Aneirin looked meaningfully down at the baby, then back to Arianwen, his dark eyes attempting to convey a message. Arianwen understood. "I will love him as deeply and as faithfully as you loved your own children, Nimue." She didn't look away from the child but Arianwen could have sworn that she saw the old woman's lip tremble slightly; she decided to press on. "I will cherish him until my last day on this earth, he will want for nothing in my care, and he-he" she gulped, "-he will never need to know the terrible truth of how he was brought into this world."

Unbelievably, a few tears fell from Nimue's eyes and onto Lloyd's milky skin. Arianwen had never seen such emotion from her, not even when she had told the story of the murder of her own children had she cried. "I will help you. If only so that this boy need never know he is the product of rape, I will help you." Nimue stated, a trace of disgust causing her voice to waiver just slightly. "Sit down," she commanded, "and hold out your wrist."

Arianwen did as she was told, her eyes widening just slightly when Nimue conjured a knife and a small bowl. If the elder woman noticed her apprehension, she ignored it; she knelt down beside the pair and began to chant a long verse in what Arianwen could only describe as a very ancient form of the Welsh language. As she spoke, she began to drag a thin strip of pure white light from her index finger of her left hand, and weave it around Arianwen and Lloyd with her right. The baby watched it in awe as it spun around his head and tried to reach up and touch it with his tiny hands. Arianwen suddenly felt a sharp pain in her wrist, and realised that Nimue had just sliced the skin with the cool blade of the knife she had conjured, letting the blood drip into the bowl beneath. She then turned her knife on Lloyd, whose innocent face scrunched up in displeasure, as though he was about to cry, though the wails never actually came. He had become quickly distracted by the new strip of crimson liquid that was whirling around them and intertwining with the white light, unaware that it was their own blood that encircled them. Arianwen gasped as she saw the baby in her arms change right before her eyes: his thick black hair seemed to suck back into his skull before re-emerging as soft white-blonde strands instead, his nose became slightly thinner and more pointed, and Arianwen was sure that his cheekbones had become higher – though it was hard to tell with such chubby cheeks. The only feature that remained unchanged was his sage-green eyes that matched perfectly with Arianwen's. Finally, Nimue's chant came to an end and the strips of red and white light fell to the ground and evaporated into thin air. "It is done." Nimue announced.

Arianwen couldn't help but smile at the baby in her arms, whose eyes were fixed on her own, as if seeing her for the first time. "I suggest you rename the child." Arianwen jumped slightly, so engrossed had she been in gazing at the boy who was now her own.

"Rename him? Why?" Arianwen asked, startled.

"Lord Gwydion knows of the child, and I assume knows the name given to him by his mother-his birth mother," she corrected quickly. "If you're going to convincingly deny the paternity of the child, you should probably give him a name that Lord Gwydion doesn't already know."

Arianwen nodded, it did make sense but she felt enormous guilt in renaming him, for doing so would be to take away the very last trace of his real mother. _You are his mother now_ , she told herself. She looked up at Aneirin, who was leaning against a wall, his arms folded across his chest and his brow creased inwards seriously.

"I'll call him Llewyn, after your father," Arianwen said, smiling sadly at Aneirin.

He looked completely astonished, his face had paled somewhat and his mouth fell agape. "After my father?" He asked after he'd regained himself. "Not your own?"

"He already has my father's name, he's a Gwydion." Arianwen smiled, she looked from the baby to Aneirin. "Llewyn Gwydion. I like it."

Touched by the gesture, Aneirin simply nodded and turned away, wiping his eyes as he went. He had truly come to value Arianwen over the past year; he had seen the power of her determination when she opposed her uncle at the elections for Warden of the South, the kindness of her heart when she welcomed him into her home despite the betrayal of his father, and now her most forgiving nature in paying tribute to his father despite his betrayal. When he had composed himself, he turned back and told Arianwen that he would wait for her outside, allowing her to speak with Nimue if she wished to do so.

"I feel different," Arianwen said after a time.

"How so?" Nimue enquired.

"I don't know," she tried to find the right words, "it's as though there's a physical bond connecting us so that when I look at him my heart sort of swells." She blushed. "It sounds stupid."

The corners of Nimue's mouth turned upward slightly. "A mother's love," she advised wisely. "It will undoubtedly be stronger than most due to your condition when the spell was cast."

Arianwen blinked, completely confused. "My condition?"

"Yes," Nimue bowed her head, "an expecting mother will always have a stronger bond with a child; and those hormones, whilst naturally occurring within you already, have been intensified by my enchantment, which plants such feelings inside you just as your genes are planted inside the child."

Arianwen blinked again, her expression perhaps even more blank than it had been prior to Nimue's explanation. "I don't understand."

"You have the DNA of another inside you already, my child."

Arianwen's mouth dropped wide open, was Nimue saying what she thought she was saying? "I'm-I'm pregnant?" She gasped.

"Indeed," Nimue agreed, now sounding somewhat bored, "and you have shared the same DNA with young Llewyn." She grinned wickedly, "You might wish to tell the father that he is going to have two children to provide for."

She didn't believe it, she _couldn't_ believe it. She was pregnant. How could she be pregnant? She hadn't slept with anyone in-

Draco.

Suddenly the previous night's events came flooding back to her. She had slept with Draco! And not only did she now have a baby in her arms that shared both hers and Draco's DNA, she also had a baby growing inside her that was his too.

She wasn't sure what the worse news was: that she now had to figure out how to look after a child on her own, whilst pregnant with another one; or that the father of said children loathed her entirely, whilst her devoted boyfriend had no knowledge of her infidelities whatsoever and she was going to have to break it to him.

 _The second one,_ she decided, _definitely the second one._


	34. Chapter Thirty-Four: Ambivalence

**A/N: Thank you so so much to ImsebastianstanButter, alfieHewie, Jessie, Guest, and P3rsyGreen for your reviews, it's so nice to get feedback so thank you! And welcome to all the new followers/favouriters, I hope you're enjoying the story so far :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Four: Ambivalence**

Aneirin and Arianwen had only managed to get a few hours of sleep before they were awoken by Betsy the house elf, who informed them that visitors were waiting in the formal sitting room. After hurriedly dressing herself and running a brush through her hair, Arianwen walked out of her bedroom and started down the corridor. She heard a door open behind her and turned to see Aneirin emerging, fastening his cloak around his neck as he went.

"Who's here?" he asked as they proceeded to make their way down the stairs together.

"I don't know," Arianwen said groggily, rubbing her eyes in an effort to make them wake up a bit more, "Betsy didn't stick around long enough - she was going on about needing to make tea."

Aneirin made a grumbling noise of agreement in his throat, it seemed neither of them were particularly talkative in the morning. They could hear the low murmuring of voices as they neared the embellished gold doors of the formal sitting room but Arianwen couldn't quite make out who was inside just yet. She pushed the doors open and entered, Aneirin in tow, to be met by four grinning faces.

"Surprise!" They shouted slightly out of time to each other. Arianwen beamed back, her friends: Brianne, Owain, Carwyn, and Gwyn had come to see her.

Brianne was the first to attack her with a hug, followed by a kiss on the cheek from Carwyn, a ruffle of her hair from Owain, and finally a tight hug from Gwyn. Whilst the others were greeting Aneirin and passing on their condolences for his late father, Gwyn caressed the side of Arianwen's face and whispered, "I've missed you", before bringing his lips to hers. It was only a brief kiss but it was all Arianwen needed to spark a tumultuous sense of guilt in her gut. After all, it had only been a matter of hours since it had been Draco that she was kissing, and having sex with, and expressing her unrequited love for-

She blinked hard, wishing the thoughts to leave her mind.

 _Fuck. I'm going to have to tell him._

She stepped back from Gwyn, trying not to let her discomfort show on her face, and invited her guests to take a seat. She'd only just poured their tea and opened her mouth to speak when a loud wailing sound reverberated through the room, projected magically through a gramophone near one of the tall arched windows that lined the outer wall.

"What the hell is that?" Owain groaned. He pressed his hands to his ears to block out the sound, just as the others also mimicked the movement.

Aneirin glanced meaningfully at Arianwen. "I'll go," he said, giving her a pointed stare. She watched his retreating back and sighed deeply, she'd been hoping she wouldn't have to tell her friends about Llewyn so soon.

"Well?" Brianne demanded. "What is going on?"

"It's a bit of a long story."

"We've got time."

Sighing once more, Arianwen paused for a minute longer before launching into the rather complicated story of how she came to acquire a young dependent.

"Right," Brianne started slowly, her eyebrows raised so high they nearly joined with her hairline, "so you're just going to tell everyone that you happened to have a child the summer before last and expect them to believe you?"

Arianwen, who had had barely three hours sleep, could not help but feel a twinge of annoyance at Brianne's disbelief. She couldn't do anything about the situation now, so what was the point in being negative about it?

"It's not actually that implausible," Carwyn reasoned; his face slightly scrunched up in thought. "It's not like anyone actually saw you much that summer, your uncle pretty much kept you under lock and key."

Arianwen smiled gratefully at him. Carwyn, whilst a little pompous and self-important at times, had always been the voice of reason and when he spoke, the others would generally take notice. She cast her eyes over to Gwyn; he was watching her silently, his mouth pressed shut and his eyes hard. His reaction concerned her, especially as she'd left out any mention of Draco in her story, meaning that his reaction was only going to get worse.

"Gwyn?" She probed gently. "Can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

He jumped slightly, his honey brown eyes focusing on her properly. "Um sure," he mumbled, following her through the door on the opposite side of the room to where Aneirin had exited; she didn't want Aneirin overhearing their conversation from the stairwell, she had a feeling it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Are you okay?" She asked him gently when the door had closed behind them.

Gwyn blinked. "Am I okay?" he asked bewildered. "Am I okay? I've just found out that my girlfriend is about to announce to the world that she's a mother to a fourteen-month old baby! And what-what am I supposed to be the father of this child in your plan? How exactly did you see this working?"

Trying to keep her tone steady and not snap back, Arianwen asked, "Would you want to be his father?"

Gwyn let out a harsh laugh and ran his hands through his hair. "I'm eighteen years old, Arianwen, what eighteen-year-old wants to be a father?!"

Unable to keep her temper at bay, Arianwen's cheeks reddened and her fists clenched. "Well don't be one then! I don't need you, I can look after him just fine on my own!"

"Don't be so stupid!" He shouted, taking a few steps back and shaking his head wildly. "Don't be so bloody stupid, Arianwen. You cannot look after a baby all by yourself!"

Arianwen glared at him. "I'd rather look after him alone than with someone that resents his very existence!"

"Well what do you expect? It's not like you consulted me on this! You're basically forcing a fucking child on me! Have you any idea how selfish that is?" Gwyn yelled back.

"I'm not forcing anything on you," Arianwen snapped. "The baby has a father already."

Gwyn curled his lip, confused. "What are you on about?"

"Llewyn already has a father."

"What? Your uncle? That's a bit sick-"

"No." Arianwen interrupted loudly. "His father is Draco Malfoy." She was met with a blank face in response. "Draco and I had sex last night, so when I changed Llewyn's DNA to reflect that of my own, some of Draco's was mixed in."

"You slept with Malfoy?" Gwyn hissed, his rage at such a peak that his whole head had become a worrying shade of scarlet. "You fucking slept with Draco fucking Malfoy?" He was walking towards her slowly, and for the first time, Arianwen felt afraid of him.

She stepped back shakily, until her legs hit the back of the sofa and she was forced to remain. "I'm so sorry," she choked, anger quickly turning to regret. "I'm so sorry."

"So this is what it feels like?" Gwyn said quietly, his shoulders hunched over. Just as quickly as it had come, his anger abated. "This is what it feels like to be cheated on?"

Arianwen opened her mouth to speak but found she had nothing to say.

"Is this your way of getting back at me for cheating on you three years ago?" He accused.

"What? No of course not! No, I just-I don't know! I just-" she made a strangled noise of exasperation, "- I just love him! I can't help it. I love him."

Gwyn glared so forcefully at her that she felt her knees buckle and her legs wobble dangerously, threatening to give way at any moment. "Fuck you, Arianwen Gwydion." He strode over to the door and flung it open, shouting over his shoulder, "FUCK YOU!" Before marching across the room and out of the house.

Arianwen made a feeble attempt to run after him, but was stopped by Owain's strong hand upon her chest. They had heard enough from the other room to understand what was going on, and all three of her friends were staring at her with a mixture of disgust and disbelief. "Don't," Owain warned, "just leave him be." And with that, both he and Carwyn followed after Gwyn.

"Oh Merlin," Arianwen whispered. She cast a pleading look at Brianne, begging her to stay. She raised a shaky hand to cover her quivering mouth, her eyes widening desperately at her friend. "Oh Merlin, what have I done?" Tears began to fall thick and fast, and Arianwen's knees really did give way this time. "What have I done?"

"It's okay," Brianne called soothingly, deciding to comfort her friend rather than abandon her as the others had. "He'll be okay. You just need to give him some time." She knelt down beside her sobbing friend and wrapped her arms around her. Whilst she acknowledged that Arianwen was very much in the wrong for sleeping with another man whilst in a relationship with Gwyn, she also knew that Arianwen had never truly moved on from Draco. The brunette took a deep breath and stared blankly at a spot in the carpet just behind Arianwen's bent head. In some ways she felt responsible herself; it was she that had encouraged Arianwen to give Gwyn a chance after all. She hugged Arianwen a little tighter.

They knelt on the floor like that for what felt like an age, and it was only when Brianne couldn't feel any sensation in her calves that she insisted Arianwen try to sit on the sofa and have a cup of tea.

Arianwen swirled the hot liquid in its cup mindlessly, battling with herself over whether to admit one last thing to her best friend. Eventually, she looked up and was met with Brianne's sympathetic smile. "There's something else," she started carefully.

Brianne cocked her head to one side questioningly. "What is it?"

The blonde sucked in a deep breath, held it for a moment or two, then released it, allowing her heart beat to slow a little. "I'm pregnant."

Brianne merely blinked, her eyes wide. A strange noise escaped her mouth, her lips remaining agape even after the noise had been emitted. "Pregnant?" She repeated finally, stunned. Arianwen nodded. "And-and you're going to keep it?" She whispered.

Arianwen looked down at her hands, rolling them over one another a few times before clasping them together tightly in her lap. "I don't know," she replied truthfully, "I need to think about it."

"Duchess!" Betsy's voice called from the hallway. "Duchess! The Marquess needs your help with young Master Llewyn, Duchess. He is needing feeding!"

"I'll be right there, Betsy!" Arianwen called. She looked worriedly at Brianne. "Promise me you won't tell anyone? No one knows apart from you."

Brianne nodded. She stood up and pulled Arianwen into a tight hug. "I promise, and I'm here if you need me or if you need someone to watch the little one."

Arianwen smiled appreciatively at her friend, truly grateful for her friendship and understanding. She kissed her cheek and bade her goodbye, then hurried up the stairs to find Aneirin and the baby - her baby.

* * *

Arianwen pushed the door to the nursery open to find a rather stressed looking Aneirin bouncing the baby on his knee and pleading with him to stop crying, his tone becoming ever more desperate. His head snapped up when he heard the door click closed, and he immediately jumped up and pushed the baby into her arms.

"He's hungry!" He announced skittishly. "He's hungry and he's had the last bottle and I can't feed him, how am I supposed to feed him? You're going to have to sort something," he gestured to her breasts, "you're going to have to feed him."

Despite the unbelievably awful morning she'd just had, Arianwen couldn't help but laugh, she'd never seen Aneirin in such a state before. "Alright," she soothed, "alright, I'll manage. Why don't you go and take a nice shower hmm?"

Aneirin nodded quickly. "Yes," he cleared his throat, "yes a shower. Good idea." and he darted from the room.

"Ow!" Arianwen squealed as she felt a sharp pain in one of her breasts. She looked down to see Llewyn trying to latch on to her nipple through her clothes. She pulled him away and walked with him at arms-length to an armchair in the corner. "Right," she whispered to herself, feeling a little awkward as she balanced the baby on her lap and pulled her robe off one shoulder, revealing her right breast, "So I just put you by here," she cradled the baby in her arms so that his face was against her breast, "and hopefully you'll know what to do…"

Thankfully, the baby did indeed know what to do, and without any further encouragement from her, he began to suckle on her breast. She was quite amazed at how quickly her body had adjusted to motherhood in order to produce milk so quickly, but she guessed that Nimue's enchantment would have enacted some sort of change in her body. She looked down at the little blonde baby in her arms; his eyes squeezed shut as all his concentration went into feeding; and found that in that moment, nursing the boy that was now her son, she was truly content.

* * *

 _One month later…_

"Gentlemen," Arianwen smiled tightly, her eyes meeting each of those around the vast triangular table in the War room of her Carmarthenshire home, "I have called you here today to gather support for a motion that I believe should have been put in place many weeks ago. I call you here to witness a declaration of war."

Aneirin, who was seated at one of the points of the triangle, nodded gravely in agreement. The past few weeks had brought with them a continuous battery of Death Eater attacks as the Dark Lord set about trying to take the councillors allegiance by force. Arianwen's uncle, Lord Dafydd Gwydion, had been a prominent figure in the attacks and under his command, nearly a thousand innocent witches, wizards, and children had been slaughtered. Aneirin's home town of Gwynedd had been one of the areas worse hit by the attacks, and Aneirin had decided to return there full-time and take his position as Warden of the North, in order to help prevent further devastation in the region. The fact that the Death Eaters had attacked the North had, in a most horrible way, actually worked in Arianwen's favour as it had demonstrated the ruthlessness of the Dark Lord, who had supposedly been allied with the North before Aneirin's father was killed. The result was the collection of men sitting before her; every single member of the War Council (with the exception of Dafydd, who was hiding out with his allies in England) had showed up at Ty Myddfai when she summoned them, and now, she hoped, they would finally pledge their allegiance to her and her cause.

"We have allowed Death Eater scum and savages to devastate our towns and villages, to murder our men, violate our women, and torment our children. I have intelligence that the Dark Lord is calling upon the most foul and abhorrent beasts to join his side, he plans to send an army of werewolves, dementors, and giants to tear through our communities and ravage us until we have no choice but to submit to him.

Well, I will not stand for it. I will not stand idly by as our people are picked off one by one and fed to the wolves. I condemn the Dark Lord and I will fight him. I will fight 'till my very last breath to end the onslaught of terror on my people, but I cannot do it alone. I need your support gentlemen. I need you to fight by my side; I need your armies to fight by my side. If we are to defeat our most ferocious of enemies, we must unite as one powerful Welsh force. We must do battle as one! Who will join me?"

Both Aneirin and the Duke of Montgomeryshire rose to their feet and cried, "I will!" together. Their support as the Wardens of North and Mid Wales respectively held much weight, and slowly, other men around the table got to their feet and pledged their allegiance too.

Only two men remained seated, Earl Flintshire, who had always been a close ally of Dafydd, and Earl Bedwyr, Gwyn's father.

"Bedwyr!" Montgomery barked. "Do not allow your personal feelings to cloud your judgement!"

Arianwen's cheeks coloured, Montgomery was referring to her. Ever since news got out that Arianwen had a child that she'd been keeping secret, word had also got out about her infidelity; though no one knew who Arianwen's lover had been. Gwyn's father; who had once been so fond of Arianwen that he treated her like one of his own household; was now cold, snide, and unforgiving towards her. Although she knew it was what she deserved, it also hurt her that the Earl could be so callous.

"My feelings toward the _Duchess_ ," his upper lip curled as if the word created a nasty taste in his mouth, "are perfectly valid. A Wales united behind a whore and her bastard son is not a Wales I wish to be a part of."

Arianwen tried as hard as she could to not show how much his words hurt her, but nevertheless felt a lump rise in her throat. Fortunately however, Aneirin spoke for her. "If you do not wish to be part of a Wales that rallies behind our strongest and most fearsome woman, then you should leave. Personally, I am honoured to fight with you, Duchess."

"As am I," Montgomery chimed in.

"And me," The Lord of Brecknockshire agreed.

" Hear, hear!" called Lord Caernarfonshire.

"As am I, Duchess." Earl Flintshire got to his feet and bowed his head to Arianwen. "I made a terrible mistake in allying myself with Lord Gwydion, and I hope that in pledging my allegiance to you, I go some way in repairing the frayed bonds between our counties."

Arianwen's heart skipped. She hadn't expected Flintshire to give his support; in fact, she had been afraid that their rivalry would cause blood to spill that night. "Thank you, Earl Flintshire. Your allegiance is most welcome at my Court."

The surprised faces of the councillors switched back to Gwyn's father. "So Bedwyr," Montgomery said in his usual deep, assertive tone, "what say you?"

The other man sighed in a way that made his shoulders hunch and his face look old beyond its years. After fiddling with his hands for a while, he brought his gaze upward and nodded. "I pledge." Arianwen tilted her head to him, and he grudgingly returned the gesture, his mouth tight. She felt incredibly ashamed of what she had done to Gwyn and the affects her actions were having on her political and personal relationships, but nevertheless she knew there was no time to feel sorry for herself.

"Thank you, gentlemen. Now let's go make some Death Eaters cry for their mothers."

* * *

 _Meanwhile in Bulgaria…_

The fact that the Muggles were surprised by the cold that blasted them, wind ripping through the mountain passes, was still confusing to Draco. He would have thought that, after being kidnapped and teleported, they would have lost the ability to be shocked at something as mundane as an icy wind.

Despite having no orders as to where to collect subjects, Draco had been careful to spread out the disappearances; even if the Muggles wouldn't be able to track what was happening, he didn't want to risk their location being discovered by the magical Bulgarian authorities. The knowledge of what further punishment for his continuing failings might look like was enough to keep him cautious.

The Muggles were trying to talk to him. He didn't speak their language, but he could imagine what they were saying. _Why have you brought us here?_ and _what is going to happen to us?_ and, probably, the more mundane questions of _where are we?_ and _who are you_? He wouldn't answer them, even if he knew what they were saying. He learned early on that it was easier if he tried to forget they were human as quickly as possible.

"Took you long enough," said Fenrir Greyback, from where he was lurking behind a rock. He could have just been lounging, hiding from the cold, but the way he sidled out into the light was so clearly a deliberate attempt at intimidation that Draco doubted it.

"Had to go further out," Draco said, not bothering to look at the other man as he tugged his cloak closer around himself. "It's not like I can just empty an entire village without someone noticing."

Greyback sneered at him, his lip curling back from his disgusting pointed yellow teeth. "Watch your tongue, boy," he said. "You wouldn't want me to have to report back that you've been slacking, would you now?"

Draco didn't say anything, didn't meet his gaze, didn't change his position. Everything was just _easier_ if he kept his head down and did his own time.

"This all you got for me?" Greyback asked, looking past Draco to the huddled group of Muggles behind him.

"That's plenty," Draco said, and didn't manage to catch himself before adding, "wouldn't want another one to escape again, would we?"

He regretted it immediately, but especially when Greyback's clawed hand whipped up to smack him across the face.

"What have I told you about that smart mouth?" he growled. Draco tasted blood in his mouth, and kept his lips firmly closed.

A moment ticked by, and then Greyback snorted derisively into his face, his breath smelling rancid and stale; but he didn't hit Draco again, instead turning his attention back to the captives, raising his wand to force them forwards.

"All right boys!" he called, through the narrow pass that lead down to the werewolf encampment. "It's feeding time!"

Draco didn't move as the Muggles were dragged, terrified and hysterical, past him. He turned his head away as they disappeared behind the rock that Greyback had appeared from behind, and groped for his hipflask, closing his ears to the screaming that started behind him, intermingled with the hoarse, brutish laughter of the werewolves.

Perhaps, tonight, he would be able to drink enough Bulgarian whiskey to drown out the sounds, to warm his blood and ease his sleep, and stop the screaming from following him into his dreams. But no sooner had the last drop hit his mouth when he felt a familiar burning on his right forearm: a summons from the Dark Lord.

* * *

 **A/N: As promised, another chapter! Please leave a review to let me know if you liked it :)**


	35. Chapter Thirty-Five: Ambush

**A/N: Thank you to the Guest reviewer who gave a lovely and encouraging review last week, I'm sincerely grateful to hear your feedback!**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Five: Ambush**

The Dark Lord was in a terrible mood - that was for sure. Draco watched numbly as the Dark Lord cast the Cruciatus Curse on the eighth Death Eater that night, each time becoming seemingly longer and more vicious. The current victim, Avery, had reached such a state of agony that he was no longer able to scream or even breathe, by the looks of things. Draco wondered casually if he would go the same way as the Longbottoms, and if he did, what it would look like. Living amongst the werewolves in Bulgaria had given Draco a new appreciation of violence, he often woke up in a cold sweat, the most terrible screams and cries for help ringing in his ears, and he would be unable to tell if it were real or imaginary.

Apparently growing bored of Avery's twitching, the Dark Lord stopped the curse and left the man on the floor to regain consciousness. He folded his hands in his lap and surveyed the remaining Death Eaters in the room, of which there were quite a number. It seemed that recruitment was no longer an issue.

"How many times do I need to remind you of the importance of security?" He hissed. A low level of grumbling broke out, with people in the know relaying what had happened to their neighbours. "Quiet." The Dark Lord snapped. "Who would like to explain to me how the Welsh Special Forces found out about and infiltrated the strategy meeting held at Avery's manor?"

There was silence across the dungeons of Draco's home, an area which Voldemort had undoubtedly selected with this purpose of intimidating his followers even further. "Rookwood? What do you have to say?" Draco couldn't see his face, for it was covered by a mask, but didn't miss the quiver in Rookwood's voice as he responded tentatively, "M-m-me my Lord?"

"Yes, Rookwood, you. You were there that night, were you not?"

"Y-yes, my Lord."

"Then you can recount what happened this night, yes? I'm sure your comrades are _dying_ to know." His voice slipped silkily of the word 'dying', causing some of the Death Eaters to stir uneasily.

"Well-uh-Avery called a meeting of the lower-ranks to relay orders, my Lord, and as there were so many, a testament to your power and popularity, my Lord-"

"I have no time for such obsequiousness, Rookwood, get to the point."

"Right, yes, s-s-sorry, my Lord. Well, Avery decided to hold the meeting out in the grounds because there were too many people to fit in the house, and we'd only been there ten minutes or so before we hear shouts and spells start flying at us from all over. They were everywhere, they had us surrounded, my Lord, and they kept moving in and tightening their circle. We had nowhere to go, my Lord!"

"Are you not wizards? Are you not possessed of wands?" The Dark Lord retorted snidely. "How exactly were thirteen wizards able to kill or injure almost 250 of our ranks? Who was leading them?"

"It was the girl, my Lord, I saw people just drop down dead in front of her! Her and two others, an old man and a younger one too-"

"People dropped dead in front of a girl, is that really the excuse you want to give me, Rookwood?"

"It's the truth, my Lord, I swear it's the truth!"

"Crucio!"

Rookwood fell to the floor under the force of the spell, guttural howls of pain being wrenched from his throat. This time however, the Dark Lord lifted the curse much quicker and ordered Rookwood to get to his feet. He did so, his mask falling in the process and revealing wet skin beneath.

"Gwydion! Come here!" The Dark Lord commanded.

Draco watched Arianwen's uncle step forward and lean into a deep bow at the Dark Lord's feet. "How can I assist you, my Lord?" He enquired silkily.

"Who is the girl that Rookwood claims can eradicate hundreds of our men?"

The Welshman paused, shifting his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably. It was evident that he didn't want to say what he was about to be forced to say, and Draco held his breath, praying to any god that it wasn't what he thought.

"I believe it must be my niece, my Lord."

 _Fuck._ It was the only thought Draco could possibly have at that moment. He felt like he might faint.

"Your niece." He repeated painfully slowly, suspense mounting in the room with each syllable. Although to everyone's surprise, he didn't try to attack Dafydd, he merely said, "I want her captured."

"Yes, my Lord, of course!" Dafydd and Rookwood agreed in time, before both backing quickly back into their space in the circle.

The Dark Lord retreated to a grand chair at the head of the room, stepping over Avery to get there. "Draco!" he called when he had sat down. "Come forward."

Draco felt his father twitch beside him, as he always did when Draco was asked to do anything by the Dark Lord. He stepped forward purposefully, having learned the hard way that the Dark Lord did not appreciate shrinking violets.

"How well you look, Draco, I see that your time with the werewolves has paid dividends." Draco said nothing. He knew that the Dark Lord must be referring to his broader stature; hauling dead bodies into a grave without the use of magic had certainly equipped him with incredible physical strength. The Dark Lord had demanded that he leave his wand behind in England, wishing to humiliate him publicly before forcing him to be servant to Greyback and his cronies. "Take Avery back to his house."

"Yes, my Lord." He approached the unconscious body on the floor and dragged him upwards and over his shoulder without much difficulty.

"Very good," the Dark Lord said softly, licking his lips. Draco tried not to react, not wanting to even think about why the Dark Lord cared that he'd become so strong.

"Should I return, my Lord?" Draco asked, trying to keep his voice plain. He longed desperately to be reunited with his parents, even if just for two minutes.

Unfortunately, the Dark Lord did not miss this cloaked desire. "No, I don't think that will be necessary. In fact," he jeered, "I don't think I'll need to call you to our meetings any time soon, I wouldn't want to distract you from your mission, after all." A number of Death Eaters, presumably the ones that knew all about Draco's 'mission', decided this was a particularly funny joke and laughed callously at his expense.

"As you wish, my Lord." And with that, Draco exited the dungeons, Avery hanging over his shoulder, and apparated away.

* * *

"Where is he?" Narcissa demanded, practically leaping from her armchair and charging towards her husband, who had just entered their bedroom.

"He sent him back." Lucius bit coldly.

Narcissa didn't bother to conceal her anguish at this statement and Lucius had to grab her quickly before she collapsed onto the floor. She looked up at her husband fearfully, trying to read his steel grey eyes. "How was he? Is he well? Was he hurt?"

"He's fine," Lucius assured, "he's been eating, at least." He decided not to mention the obvious smell of firewhiskey that he'd detected on his son as they had stood shoulder to shoulder in the Death Eater's circle.

"Well, what have they got him doing?" Narcissa demanded again, gripping Lucius' robes tightly for support as she anticipated his answer.

"I'm not sure exactly," Lucius admitted, "but whatever it is its physical work."

Narcissa nodded slowly and allowed Lucius to lead her to sit on the sofa in front of the fireplace. He pulled her close to him and played with the end of her hair as he always had done when they were younger – and happier. "I'll do whatever I can to get him home, Cissa."

"I know." she breathed, tears wiping the tears that had spilled from her eyes. She shifted slightly so that she could look her husband in the face. She brushed her slender fingers across his cheek, smiling sadly. Leaning closer, she pressed her lips against his gently and tried to convey as much emotion as possible in the kiss. "I love you, Lucius Malfoy."

* * *

Arianwen was kneeling upon a plush black velvet cushion encrusted with the crest of Saint David in her family home of Ty Myddfai, her head bowed and hands folded carefully in her lap. Around her, she could make out the feet of numerous bystanders, all standing around her in a circle. In front of her were a pair of perfectly shiny black leather shoes, which must have been disgustingly expensive, she noted. The owner of these remarkably fine shoes was speaking loudly, the rehearsed rhetoric one which she had heard a number of times in the past year, but had never quite believed would be directed at her. She allowed her ears to tune back into the speech just in time.

"-and with this honour comes the heavy burden of responsibility. Do you promise that you will uphold the code of the Council?"

"With unity, peace, and prosperity, I will serve our great Nation and uphold the code." Arianwen recited to the floor, giddy anticipation causing her heart to thump heavily.

"Then it is with great pleasure that I now pronounce thee, Arianwen Gwenllian Gwydion, Duchess of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, to be Warden of the South and Lady Protector of the Realm!"

A magnificent applause rung across the room and practically lifted Arianwen to her feet, elation beaming out of every inch of her face. She had finally been recognised by the Councillors as worthy of the title of Warden of the South, a position her father had held before his death, and her uncle had taken from her the year prior. To her amazement, the call to impeach her uncle hadn't even come from Aneirin or Montgomery, her closest allies and both Wardens of the North and Mid-region respectively, but had come instead from Earl Flintshire, an ex-supporter of Dafydd.

After many congratulations and thanks had been shared between Arianwen and the other twelve councillors, the group made their way to Ty Myddfai's War Room, a grand wood-panelled room cloaked with gigantic tapestries and paintings of famous historic battles and army figureheads. Once each councillor had taken their seat at the triangular table, which had a Warden at each point and the councillors of their region to their left, Montgomery began addressing the room.

"My lords and lady," he nodded to Arianwen, "may I first welcome the Duchess to her new position, it is my strong belief that you will perform your duties most admirably."

"Hear hear!" Came a few cries of other councilmen.

"However, I am afraid that we cannot spend much time on congratulations when we have the pressing issue of Lord Gwydion's abscondment to address." There were some murmurings of agreement amongst the councillors, before Duke Montgomery continued, "I do not need to remind you of the importance of capturing Lord Gwydion before he confides any more of our tactical information to the enemy. We have intelligence that he will be at the Malfoy Manor tonight and that the one they call the Dark Lord will not. This is our best chance to capture Lord Gwydion and-"

"You want us to raid the Death Eaters' headquarters? Are you mad?" Radnorshire exclaimed.

"There must be another way!" Caernarfonshire demanded.

"There is no other way!" Montgomery's deep voice boomed. "Lord Gwydion has proven to be a slippery foe; this is the first time that we can guarantee his whereabouts. He is due to attend a meeting called by Severus Snape, who I gather is the unofficial leader of the Death Eaters in the Dark Lord's absence."

"And how have we received this intelligence?" Aneirin questioned. Whilst he had no qualms with battling the Death Eaters, he was uneasy about doing so in a location where they would surely hold the upper hand.

"From me." Earl Flintshire answered. "Whilst I have made my allegiance to our new Warden of the South very clear amongst our circle, I have not been so blatant with my contacts in England and they still believe me to be their ally. I've found that after a drink or two, some mouths that would otherwise remain closed, miraculously seem to open…"

"It would be foolish to pass up this opportunity," Arianwen spoke up. Whilst she and Flintshire had certainly not seen eye-to-eye in the past, she wasn't one to hold a grudge, and if he wanted to play double-agent to win their side information, she wasn't going to stop him.

"I have a personal understanding of the logistics of the Manor," Flintshire continued, "I believe I know how we can get in."

"So are we in agreement, my Lords?" Montgomery asked, staring each man boldly in the eye and gaining some both enthusiastic and reluctant nods in return. "Then the matter is settled. We attack tonight."

* * *

Arianwen crept behind Flintshire as they snuck into Malfoy Manor via an underground tunnel that ran from an alder wood right into one of the inner walls of the house. Flintshire stopped suddenly, and Arianwen crashed straight into him, earning herself a few choice swear words in response.

"Everyone stop!" Arianwen hissed to the large chain of people following behind, who in turn whispered the command to the people behind them. Visibility was poor in the tunnel, even with their wands alit, as the walls were so close on all sides that all the bodies filled it and the light had nowhere to bounce off. Slowly, Flintshire pushed open an old trap door; the hinges had rusted badly and caused the door to creak slightly as it opened, setting Arianwen's nerves on edge, though even the tiniest of noises was enough to make Arianwen's heart beat so loudly in her chest that she was sure it would give them away. Flintshire entered whichever room the tunnel led to, alone, and after a tense minute, returned to give the all clear. As silently as possible, they all climbed through the trap door and into what Arianwen realised was the grand dining room one-by-one. There were only about twenty people in the raiding party, the councillors had decided that a stealth mission would be more easily pulled off if there were just a small selection of highly-trained individuals in attendance; amongst them was Gwyn, who made sure to throw Arianwen dark looks whenever their eyes met. The plan was to separate into subgroups, locate the room in which the Death Eaters were gathered, and surround it. Then, at the earliest opportunity, they would either abduct or kill Dafydd, depending on logistics. Arianwen had drawn a map of the Manor to the best of her memory and distributed it amongst the raiding party for them to memorise.

Flintshire nodded to Montgomery, who led the first group out of the dining room and towards the source of the rumble of Death Eater voices to the right. Swiftly, Aneirin led the second group to the left, putting the plan to surround and destroy the enemy into motion. Finally, Arianwen's group; which was much smaller than the others and only consisted of herself, Flintshire and Earl Bedwyr, Gwyn's father; exited the dining room and crept along the corridor and up the stairs until they reached the ballroom, where the meeting was being held. Their role was possibly the most dangerous as they were actually going to mix with the Death Eaters in order to locate and abduct Dafydd, while the other two parties would act as back-up should they be discovered. It was not a role that Arianwen had come by easily, but with a bit of persuasion she'd managed to get the other councillors to agree to let her be in the thick of the action. She wanted to be the one to engender Dafydd's demise.

They had donned black clothing and cloaks to match the Death Eaters, and Flintshire had provided them each with a mask. It made Arianwen feel sick to put such a mask on, but in this moment she knew it was necessary to ensure her survival. The door that they used to enter the ballroom had been left open enough for them to slide into the room without attracting attention. Death Eaters were packed into the room like bats in a cave, they were everywhere. At the head of the room were clearly the more important of the Death Eaters, Voldemort's inner circle, as they stood away from the rest to reinforce their superiority. Arianwen moved carefully around the edge of the room, trying not to draw attention to herself. Her eyes were scanning the room quickly, looking for any hint of her uncle amongst the faceless masses. Then, suddenly, her gaze was drawn to a flash of light, which had reflected off some kind of a pin on one of the Death Eaters. She moved closer, eyes squinting, trying to gauge what the shape was, and then she realised – it was a dragon, the symbol of the War Council. Dafydd!

How stupid of him to wear it, Arianwen scoffed to herself, such an obvious identifier amongst a sea of Englishmen. She wondered vaguely if Draco was there and found herself looking round for his form, though she couldn't see him as far as she could tell.

 _Focus!_ She told herself. _You're here for Uncle Dafydd._

She looked back to where Dafydd had been standing and found that he had disappeared. Cursing her own stupidity, her eyes ripped through the crowd until they once again caught a flash of light and identified the elegant gold dragon pin on Dafydd's collar. He had moved to a spot quite near the doorway, presenting the perfect opportunity for one of them to capture him and escape. It seemed Gwyn's father had had the same thought, for Arianwen saw him move towards his target. She moved too, trying to get closer to Gwyn's father should he need support; before she could reach him, however, Dafydd had suddenly procured his wand and shouted, "Stupefy!"

The spell barely missed Bedwyr, who had shot a curse back at Dafydd, green light just missing him and causing a spot in the wall behind him to crumble. "Attack!" Bedwyr shouted as the other Death Eaters cottoned on to what was happening and began scrambling over each other to catch him.

"No!" Arianwen screamed as she saw a couple of Death Eaters attack Bedwyr from behind. She ran towards him, throwing spell after spell at the surrounding Death Eaters. Mercifully, their reinforcements burst through the rear doors and leaped down from the balconies, helping them fight against the onslaught of Death Eater hexes and jinxes flying around the room. Arianwen's spells hit their targets, and three of the four Death Eaters surrounding Bedwyr fell away, leaving just one in physical combat with him. Anger raged inside her as she watched the Death Eater's curse slash Bedwyr across the chest, blood spilling out instantly. She focused her energy into the ancient magic that presided within her, the magic that Nimue had taught her to harness, and watched with content as the Death Eater gasped for breath, falling to the ground within seconds, dead.

"RUN!" Aneirin bellowed at their party. "GET OUT! RUN!" And run they did. Arianwen bolted for the doors she had entered by and made it through - but then-

"Argh!" She screamed. Someone had grabbed her from the side and was pressing a wet cloth to her mouth while they dragged her away. "Don't struggle now, Duchess, we wouldn't want to bruise that pretty skin of yours." Arianwen's head was foggy, everything was blurry, and she found herself unable to move for herself – but she recognised that voice, it was Flintshire, he had betrayed them!

Whatever potion had been on the cloth that Flintshire was trying to gag her with was setting in fast. Flintshire's grasp on her slackened suddenly and she fell carelessly to the floor, her head hitting the marble with a great _thwack_! She tried desperately to reach for her wand but it was fruitless, she couldn't move a muscle. The last thing she heard before she passed out was the unmissable voice of Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Don't call the Dark Lord," she commanded, "he said not to disturb him for anything but Potter! We can take care of this little blood traitor ourselves."

* * *

 **A/N:** Am I right in thinking that interest in this fic is diminishing somewhat? I just had one review last chapter (and very grateful for it I was too) and it's becoming a bit of a struggle to write alongside all my other commitments. I'd say there's about 4/5 chapters left, but they're not particularly easy ones to write and I'm struggling to get the motivation to do so. That said, it would be a shame to come this far and not finish it, so I will consider just putting it on the back burner and revisiting it in 6 months or so, when life has potentially calmed down a bit. I don't know...let me know what you think!


	36. Chapter Thirty-Six: Detainment

**A/N: Thank you to the lovely six readers who reviewed the last chapter (FalseIndigo0o0, Agazeamongstthestars, I'mNotaMundane, Kat, Guest, and Silverfoxxy15)! I'm genuinely so happy that you've been enjoying my story! Whilst you've encouraged me not to go on hiatus, I would expect there to be a bit of a delay with the next few chapters - but I won't give up all together, thanks to you guys.**

 **Anyway, here's the next instalment for you :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Six: Detainment**

 _3 months later…_

Arianwen lay uncomfortably on the rigid stone floor in her cell, her legs extended against the wall in front of her, slightly bent at the knee. Her captors had decided to keep her separate from the other prisoners, caging her instead in a cold, dark, stone cell, so small that she couldn't lie flat in it and had to either sleep sitting up, curled into a ball, or with her back on the floor and legs leaning against the wall. Her captors had stripped her from the Death Eater costume that she had worn on the night of her capture and replaced it with a scratchy linen gown and nothing else. There was an old galvanised bucket in corner of the cell for Arianwen to use as a toilet, though it was only emptied very occasionally. Days upon days of excrement would build up and fumigate the tiny cell with a thick, nauseating stench. That, coupled with Arianwen's persistent morning sickness, was enough to make anyone give up on life but for Arianwen it wasn't even the worst part of her detainment. The cell was positioned somewhere in the basement, Arianwen assumed, for it was entirely windowless. Even when one of her captors came to fetch her, the room beyond the door was only dimly lit with a sparse cluttering of candles, no natural light to be seen anywhere.

The darkness was unbearable. It was tangible; dense, and swarming, pressing every breath, every encouraging thought out of her – crushing her soul.

After her initial capture, she had woken alone in the cell and been left there for what felt like weeks without any food, water, or blankets. Realistically, it had probably been only a few days before she'd been dragged out by a jeering Rookwood and shoved into the grand dining room, where the Black sisters and their husbands had been eating their breakfast wordlessly. She had gotten back to her feet clumsily and Bellatrix had cackled as her entire body physically trembled, mistaking it for fear rather than physical weakness due to a lack of any nourishment. Her eyes had streamed endlessly, encouraging Bellatrix's glee even further, though really she had just been so blinded by the daylight streaming through the expansive windows that her eyes were ill-prepared to adjust. But it wasn't just Bellatrix that took pleasure in Arianwen's sickly appearance, for none other than Dafydd Gwydion had presented himself to mock her too. She hadn't needed her vision to recognise him, she could identify him just by the pattern of his footsteps and the overpowering scent of his cologne.

"Well, well," he had said, "how the mighty have fallen." Then, just for effect, he'd given her a swift kick behind the knees, sending her toppling painfully to the ground. "What's the matter, child, aren't you going to fight back?" He hissed in her ear. But she had done nothing, biding her time instead, waiting for an opportune moment to attack. "You know," he drawled on, "I really would have thought that you would've protected _your_ son a little better." Arianwen's heart had stopped dead in that moment. "Such a sweet young thing, pity really…" he tailed off slowly, examining his long pointed nails as though they of great interest to him.

"What have you done?" Arianwen had breathed, scrambling indelicately to her feet. "What have you done to him?" She demanded again, her voice suddenly much stronger. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BOY?" she roared, launching herself on him, willing his heart to explode inside his chest, to crumble to ash and take his soul with it. And – just as Nimue had taught her – her rage began to boil through her bloodstream, enticing her most inner magic to take over. Dafydd looked at her in horror, hands clutching his throat, as he found himself suddenly unable to breathe. He rasped and spluttered for air, his head and neck turning from red to a violent purple, the lack of oxygen causing his body to crumple to the ground just as Arianwen's had moments earlier. She had felt herself grow stronger as she drained the very life from her uncle's body, until-

"Crucio!" A voice had shouted, causing an agonising scream to burst from Arianwen's mouth as a hundred invisible knives began tearing at her skin. It was over quickly, thankfully, but it had been enough to distract Arianwen from her assault on her uncle. He was hunched over, breathing deeply as he wiped some vomit away from his mouth. With the poise of a thoroughbred male, he brought himself back upright and doubled down on Arianwen. Grabbing a fistful of her hair, he dragged her over to where he had vomited and shoved her face into it. "EAT IT!" He bellowed. "EAT IT YOU DISGUSTING WHORE!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Another voice shouted, a familiar voice. "How dare you assault a pureblood witch in my home!"

"She is a blood traitor!" Dafydd spat. "How dare you defend her?"

"She is not a blood traitor until the Dark Lord says she is. You will not lay another finger on her without his approval, do you understand me?"

"Don't you _dare_ speak to me like that, you-" Apparently Dafydd had made some move to assault Arianwen's defender, for she heard the sickening crunch of a bone breaking as another man punched Dafydd and demanded that he leave his home.

There was a long silence as the door slammed behind Dafydd, and the remaining people in the room stood in shock. "Take her back to her cell, Rookwood." Bellatrix commanded suddenly. Arianwen felt a rough hand yank at her upper arm until she had been brought to a standing position.

"Wait," the strained voice of Arianwen's defender said. Arianwen's sage green eyes flicked instantly to the source of the voice and rested upon Narcissa Malfoy, who was now conjuring blankets from the tip of her wand.

"Cissa, what-" Bellatrix started.

"We have to keep her alive," Narcissa snapped, "at least long enough for the Dark Lord to interrogate her." That silenced the small crowd in the room.

Narcissa approached Arianwen quickly, an unreadable expression on her face, and draped the blankets around her shoulders one-by-one. "Stay strong." She whispered, almost inaudibly, into Arianwen's ear. And then she was gone and Arianwen was being shoved back into her cell, albeit somewhat warmer than before. Several minutes later, the door to her cell had opened again, and a tray of food and water slid in sloppily, before the door slammed shut once more. She took the food gratefully, not leaving a single crumb uneaten or drop undrunk. Once it had all gone, Arianwen slid down the wall, bringing her knees to her chest comfortingly and silently thanking Narcissa for forcing them to feed her – for she knew it was her doing. Despite the food however, she could feel herself growing weaker by the day, she drew power from her homeland so the longer she was away from Wales, the less powerful she became. She knew she would have to concentrate all of her power into keeping her baby safe, though she had no idea how long she'd be able to keep it up for. Dreams of rescue plagued her thoughts that night.

The sound of fast approaching footsteps pulled Arianwen away from her memories. A few seconds later, the door to her cell was flung open, and Arianwen was being dragged out roughly, the silhouette of the guard only just discernible by the soft flicker of candlelight.

"Where are you taking me?" Arianwen rasped, not used to speaking aloud.

"The Dark Lord has summoned you," the figure replied gruffly. She didn't recognise his voice but she did recognise where she was being taken. Down the long corridor and up the stone steps to ground level, through the moonlit courtyard and back into the manor through the rear parlour doors. As she suspected, they approached the stairs to the east wing and ascended them. They moved through two more winding corridors until they came to a halt in front of the doors to what Arianwen knew to be the old library, which had been converted into an expansive dining room but still retained the mahogany panelled walls of its former self.

She noticed her escort's hands shake as he turned one of the brass knobs in the shape of a serpent's head, and rolled her eyes. Whoever he was, he was either a coward or giddily excited to be in the present of his master. _Probably both,_ Arianwen pondered.

She barely even noticed when he yanked her arm and led her to the head of a long dining table, at least thirty masked figures sitting around it, and it's head – Voldemort.

* * *

Draco felt like his entire world had frozen in time.

Standing at the head of the table was Arianwen, _his_ Arianwen in _his_ house. She looked awful. Her hair hung limply down her back, weighed down with months of grease and dirt; the rag of a gown they'd put her in was marked with stains of mud, ash, and…blood. He lurched forward, bile rising suddenly through his throat and into his mouth. Next to him, his father kicked his foot, reminding him to compose himself.

"Something the matter Draco?" The Dark Lord asked coolly, surveying him with a knowing smirk.

After coughing a few times to try to cover up his sudden bodily reaction, he replied, "Not at all, my Lord, please excuse me." and coughed once more for effect.

"You recognise our prisoner I imagine?" The Dark Lord pressed on, seeing through Draco's lie.

Draco couldn't bring himself to look at her, he could only imagine what she must be thinking right now, how she must hate him for allowing her to be imprisoned and tortured in his own home. "No, my Lord?" He responded, his voice lifting just slightly at the end to signify a question.

The cold snake-like eyes of Voldemort narrowed but instead of questioning him further, he pointed his wand at Arianwen. "Scourgify!" A jet of freezing cold, soapy water, soaked Arianwen from head to toe and she spluttered and coughed as it filled her mouth and slid down her throat. When the spell had subsided, a pool of dirty water had gathered at her feet and her gown had become translucent, revealing the curves of her body beneath.

"And now?" He asked again, gesturing to Arianwen's now clean face. Draco shook his head.

"Well then," the Dark Lord said, raising his wand, "perhaps you ought to take a better look." Suddenly Arianwen was catapulted into the air and flew to the centre of the table, where Draco sat. With another flick of his wand, she was released from the spell and plummeted onto the table with an almighty _crash!_ "Recognise our little friend now?"

Draco was forced to look down at her but her eyes were squeezed shut, her breathing coming out in odd wheezes. "Mr Knot tells me that the two of you used to _date_?" the Dark Lord mocked.

"My Lord," Lucius cut in urgently, "my son abandoned the girl as soon as he realised she was a blood traitor-"

"Did I ask you to speak?" Their master hissed dangerously. Promptly, Lucius shut up. "Now Draco, why don't you tell us about our _esteemed_ guest?"

"There isn't much I can tell you my Lord, our encounters didn't leave a lot of room for talking, and as my Father has said, I dropped her as soon as I became aware of her allegiances." Many Death Eaters around the table laughed detestably at this, but not loudly enough for him to miss Arianwen mutter, "Prick", under her breath.

"I see, well then, as you clearly do not care for the girl, perhaps we can share her out. Not all of our friends here can show the same restraint as you, it seems." Draco looked around in horror to see many of the men eyeing Arianwen lustfully, their eyes roamed freely over her flesh, many hovering over her now erect nipples. He suffered another kick from his Father and realised that he'd been clutching the arms of the chair so hard that his nails had dug into the wood beneath, causing splinters to draw blood. With another flick of his wand, Voldemort sent Arianwen soaring backwards until she hit the wall at the far end of the room. She slid down it, moaning slightly in pain, but got to her feet again nevertheless.

"What do you want from me?" She gasped, bent over and clutching her stomach, still winded from colliding with the wall, he assumed.

"What I want," Voldemort said coolly, "is to know how you have managed to kill so many of my followers without so much as lifting your wand."

Much to Draco's dismay, Arianwen straightened up, one hand still on her stomach, and grinned manically. "Talent." was all she said.

"You arrogant child!" A man roared, slamming his fist down upon the table. Every head swivelled to the right to see the source of the noise, for it had not been their master's voice but-

"Uncle," Arianwen announced hungrily, stalking towards him. "How I have _longed_ to see you again."

"You will answer the Dark Lord, you insolent little-"

"Enough." Voldemort said lazily, freezing Arianwen in position with his wand. "Do you believe me incapable of handling this _child_ , Gwydion?"

"N-n-no, my Lord, no of course not but-"

"Then sit down." He said evenly. Dafydd did what he was told and lowered himself back into his chair.

"Now, Greyback, as you seem so _eager_ to get a taste of the girl, I will permit you to go first." Draco's gaze snapped to Fenrir Greyback, who was sitting further down the table, nearer Arianwen, and on the opposite side to him. He was practically bouncing in his chair, his breath heavy and his eyes fixed on Arianwen. "You have served me well of late, Greyback, and I am a fair master – I give rewards where rewards are due. I certainly would not want to prevent you from... feeding." The final word was said with such ominous malice that Draco felt he might hurl once again.

"Thank you, master." Greybacks scratchy voice responded; and then, more to himself, "you gift me with a mother's milk, you are most gracious!"

"You will soon learn, _Duchess_ , that I am not a patient man. Perhaps you will feel more inclined to cooperate after Greyback has had a little fun."

Her eyes widened, genuinely fearful, as Greyback stood from his chair and grabbed her. In the same instant, Voldemort released the spell that had been holding her still, and Greyback grabbed her by the throat, forcing her down on the table. She struggled viciously, but his weight was far greater than hers, and he was able to pin her down long enough to rip her gown from the neck to the naval.

"No!" She shouted. "No! Get off me!" But her shouts were useless. The werewolf clawed hungrily at her skin and grasped one of her breasts; jagged, yellow teeth bit down on it and he drank greedily, both milk and blood trickling down her side.

Draco couldn't bear it for one second longer - he had to intervene now. He made to stand up but was halted by the voice of his father, "Don't, Draco, don't." Lucius' voice was barely discernible, especially with Arianwen's screams and cries filling the room. "It'll be the death of us all," he urged.

Painfully, Draco remained seated – his father was right. If he defended Arianwen now he would get them both killed, and his parents too. At least if he remained silent, just for a little longer, they might all still survive.

* * *

The meeting was over. Draco followed his father to his parents' bedroom, the one safe space the Malfoy's had left in their home. As soon as they entered, Narcissa was on her feet and flinging her arms around Draco's neck. It was the first time they'd seen each other in thirteen weeks but even so, Draco did not embrace her back.

"Draco?" She pulled away, concern etched in the lines in her face. "What's wrong?"

"Did you know?" He asked in a low voice, closing the bedroom door behind him. Narcissa didn't need him to specify any further, she knew who he was talking about. Regretfully, she bowed her head in affirmation. "Then why the FUCK is she still here? Why the fuck haven't you done something?"

"Don't you dare speak to your mother like that!" Lucius roared; stepping quickly between his wife and his son, his eyes alight with rage. This particular expression would normally send Draco running for the hills, but not today. He squared up to his father and quickly realised that he was bigger, stronger, and ready for a fight. He grabbed his father's robes by the chest and rammed him into the nearest surface: one of the posts of their bed. "Don't lecture me! Do not _ever_ lecture me! I would never have asked you to watch Mother- t-t-to watch her be tortured in front of you," his voice was cracking and his hold on his father quickly slackened. He stumbled back, his hands sliding through his hair, then covering his face.

"Draco!" Narcissa called softly, alarmed. "Draco come here." She enveloped him in a tight hug, which this time he returned.

"I have to do something, I can't leave her here!" He cried into her shoulder.

"Okay," Narcissa soothed, "it's okay. We'll help you." Lucius opened his mouth to disagree but on receipt of one of Narcissa's particularly nasty glares, closed it again.

"I've got portkeys and I stole a wand from one of the mudbloods in Bulgaria…" Draco muttered to himself, pacing across the room again. "But they'll be expecting me back any minute, and the Dark Lord would suspect you two in an instant. ARGH!"

"Calm down, son." This time it was Lucius offering words of comfort for Narcissa seemed far away in thought.

"I think-" she began but tailed off again. Then, all of a sudden, her mouth broke into a triumphant grin. "I've got something that can help."

* * *

Arianwen groaned and tried to shift into a more comfortable spot. Her head was spinning, the wounds Greyback had inflicted on her had caused her to lose a lot of blood and she was struggling to see straight. She pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her chest.

Her eyes grew heavy and she was about to succumb to the temptations of sleep when the door to her cell opened for the second time that day. A flash of white blonde hair crossed her vision, detectable even in the blackness of her cell. "Draco?" She asked, her voice weak.

"No." the figure replied uncomfortably, scooping her up in his arms and fumbling for something in his pocket. She didn't hear him though for she'd already fallen unconscious in his arms, Draco's face spinning at the forefront of her mind.

* * *

Lucius walked through the air, Arianwen in his arms, looking around him to try and discern their location. It wasn't an easy task however, as all he could see were fields for miles in every direction. Not far from where he landed was an alder tree and he supposed this was the tree Draco had been talking about when they'd hatched their plan back at the Manor.

Narcissa had in her possession a very old time turner, passed down to her from generations of Black's before her. She'd hidden it in a false bottom of one of their wardrobe's many years prior but managed to dig it out and hand it to Draco. It was then that the plan had really taken shape. Draco had put the time turner around his father's neck and instructed him to go back a mere ten minutes, the window between Arianwen being taken back to her cell and the Death Eaters finishing their meeting. If they could just get her out within this window then they couldn't be implicated for it, for they would have been in everyone's sight the entire time. There was a chance that the blame could fall onto Narcissa, but it was unlikely – the Dark Lord thought her to be weak, he wouldn't think she was capable of carrying off such a balshy crime. Draco used the stolen wand to turn Lucius' pocket watch and wedding ring into portkeys: the watch for the journey to Wales and the ring to get him back to the Manor. It was the safest way to do it, for then Lucius just had to get to Arianwen's cell without being seen and simply wait for the portkey to take them away. Thankfully, it had been surprisingly easy for Lucius to get out of the house and over to the underground chamber where they'd been keeping Arianwen; everyone was still in the meeting, so he simply had to ensure that he didn't run into any strays.

Lucius looked down at the young woman in his arms. Her hair was still wet and the blanket she'd wrapped herself in had become heavy in the weight of her blood. Despite this however, he was sure that the colour of her skin was changing, moving from a sickly grey to a more healthy peach. He didn't have time to ponder this however, for a loud CRACK! stole his attention away.

"Here!" Draco shouted as soon as he spotted them. "Give her to me!" He commanded impatiently.

Lucius complied and transferred the blonde into his arms. "Draco, this plan is ludicrous, why don't you just leave her here-"

"I am NOT leaving her." Draco snarled, clutching Arianwen more tightly to his chest. The movement caused her to stir slightly, though she didn't wake. "Get the portkey," he commanded again, and waited tensely while his father slid his enchanted wedding ring back onto his finger.

"What's the time now?" Draco asked urgently.

Lucius consulted the time turner still hanging from his neck. "It's eleven twenty-nine."

"Then you're due to leave in one minute!" Draco warned. "Give me the time turner, I'll hide it." Once again, Lucius obeyed his son and placed the delicate chain around his neck. Draco shifted Arianwen so that he was holding her with just one arm and pulled the stolen wand he'd used to apparate out of his pocket. He raised it steadily and pointed it at his father's head.

"Ready?" Draco asked. Lucius nodded, then dropped his gaze to his pocket watch.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five-" Lucius counted down, "four, three, two-"

"Oblivate!" Draco cried, watching a look of emptiness flick over Lucius' face, just as it had when he'd cast the spell on his mother, before the portkey dragged him back to the manor and it was just him and Arianwen left. He shifted her back across his chest so that he could hold her in both arms and began running in the direction of her house.

He'd only been running for five minutes when he realised that her house was much farther away from the alder tree than he'd realised. He guessed that he only had about five more minutes before someone at the Manor discovered that Arianwen was no longer there and Voldemort summoned them all back for questioning. But just as he'd started to panic, an idea popped into his mind.

"Ri!" He shook her in his arms, trying to wake her. "Arianwen please, wake up!" She shifted, a low groan escaping her lips. "Arianwen? Arianwen!"

"What?" She mumbled, her eyes still closed.

"I need you to call your elf!"

"Mmm?" Draco's panic was reaching an all-time high. _What the hell is the name of that bloody elf?_

"Betsy!" He remembered with a shout. "Betsy! Arianwen, call Betsy!"

The blonde groaned again but obeyed him, a weak "Betsy!" leaving her lips. The elf appeared in an instant, her eyes bulging out of their sockets when she saw the scene before her.

"Miss Duchess!" The elf squeaked. "She is back!"

"Betsy, I need you to take us to the house." Draco said hurriedly. The elf complied instantly, and seconds later they were running through the house: Draco trying to find the nearest room that he could place her in some comfort, and Betsy trying to find her misstress' potions kit. Draco flung open the door to the family sitting room, where the sofas where much more plush and comforting than in the formal sitting room. He placed Arianwen down carefully on the nearest sofa and swapped the blanket she was wearing for a clean one at the end of the sofa. He threw flames into the fireplace and dried her hair with the stolen wand. Betsy reappeared moments later, thrusting the potions kit into Draco's hands as he commanded.

"Get a bowl of warm water and a cloth," he ordered while rifling through the potions bag. Finally, he found the blood-replenishing potion and poured it into Arianwen's mouth, massaging her throat until she swallowed. He didn't even notice that Betsy had returned with the cloth and water he asked for until he nearly kicked it over but made quick work of cleaning up the wounds on her chest, expecting to need to apply dittany to help her heal. To his surprise however, the wounds were healing themselves, the skin fusing back together before his eyes.

"This land gives her strength," Betsy offered wisely, noticing the confusion in his eyes.

Draco nodded and let out a massive breath when he saw her eyes begin to open. Her beautiful green eyes watched him for a few moments before she began to register who he was. "Where am I?" she asked, and Draco's stomach lurched to realised how scared she looked, how scared she was of him.

"You are at home Miss Duchess!" Betsy squeaked. Arianwen looked at her with the same confusion she'd regarded Draco with, although as soon as it dawned on her that she was looking at her own elf, she croaked, "Betsy, where's my boy?"

"I will fetch the young master for you! He is with Miss Brianne." Betsy disapparated instantly, leaving Draco and Arianwen alone for just a split second before returning with Brianne, the baby crying in her arms.

"Arianwen! Oh my god, thank Merlin you're safe!" Brianne gushed.

"Llewyn!" Arianwen exclaimed, her eyes darting to him. She held her arms up expectantly and Brianne rushed over, passing the child over delicately. "Shh," Arianwen soothed, "it's okay, I'm here now." However, the small blonde boy didn't soothe easily and continued to cry, his little face bright red and wet with tears. He kept ducking his head and knocking Arianwen's chest with it, frustrated when she only bounced him in her lap in response.

"He wants feeding, love." Brianne said gently.

With an unholy wrenching in his gut, Draco watched Arianwen's face contort, tears falling thick and fast. "I-I-I c-can't," she stuttered. Without thinking, he sprang forward, wanting to do anything to stop her reliving the events of the evening. He knelt down in front of her and wiped her tears with the back of his fingers. "It's alright," he said softly, his stomach flipping as she looked at him with those big green eyes, "you're safe now. He's your baby, he just wants this comfort from you, you don't need to be scared. You can do it."

"Okay," she agreed with a sniff and allowed Draco to carefully push aside the horrible gown, still ripped down the middle. Little Llewyn didn't need any more encouragement than that, he latched on, causing Arianwen to inhale sharply.

"You okay?" Draco asked, nervous.

"Yeah." She breathed out deeply, closing her eyes briefly as she readjusted to the sensation.

"There we are, well done." He brushed her hair behind her ear as she bent down to watch their son, stroking her jaw a few times with his thumb.

"Draco," she started quietly, resting her forehead briefly against his chin. Relevtuantly, she opened her eyes again and watched him closely before speaking again, "I'm pregnant."

Silence. Everyone held their breath, waiting for some sort of reaction from him. A full minute passed before he finally blinked, his eyes widening as the weight of her words crashed down upon him. Suddenly, he was stumbling backwards, scrabbling to get to his feet. "Pregnant? And-and - mine?" he choked out.

Her nod sent his hand flying through his hair, then over his mouth, then massaging his temples. "You've got to get rid of it," he said next, hand still covering his eyes as he massaged his temples eratically.

"What the fuck?" Brianne had found her voice – and she was fuming. "You do NOT tell a pregnant woman to get rid of her fucking unborn child!" She roared, causing Llewyn to start crying again.

"I have _every_ right to tell her to get rid of it seeing as it's mine!" Draco growled, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Do you really think any of us are buying this bullshit front your putting up?" Brianne yelled back, pointing an accusatory and shaking finger at him.

"I don't give a fuck if you buy it or not you little-"

"Why are you here then?" Brianne shouted over him. "Why did you even bother to bring her home if you really loathe her so much?!"

"Because my mother begged me to get her out." Draco snapped, his voice remaining low in direct contrast to the brunette. "Don't you think I would've brought her home sooner if I actually gave a fuck if she lives or dies?"

"Then what the hell were you just doing? You were literally just fucking comforting her two seconds ago!"

Thankfully, Draco was spared having to come up with a plausible excuse for his lapse in control by the broken voice of Arianwen from the sofa. "Just get out, Draco! Please just get out of my life!" She cried, tears leaking from her eyes again.

For a split second, Draco didn't move, his feet rooting him to the spot as he fought an internal battle over whether to give up and admit everything. A cold wand to his throat brought him back to reality – he could _not_ tell her. The only way he could protect her was by cutting any association to her, that much had been proven in the Manor tonight.

"You heard her, Malfoy. Get. Out."

He didn't fight it. He let Brianne force him out of the house at wand-point, unable to bring himself to take so much of a glance in Arianwen's direction – it would be the end of him.

* * *

 **A/N: I can't tell you how wonderful it was to hear from you last week, I would really really love to hear your thoughts again this time!**


	37. Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Night

**A/N: hello all! The hiatus is over! Please enjoy this chapter, it's short but the next two chapters will probably be quite long and then that's it - we're finished!**

 **Special thanks to FalseIndigo0o0, Purplestan, SmallLittleCagedBird, Aly2496, and Louise for your encouraging reviews. I'm really very grateful.**

 **I appreciate that I haven't posted in ages so if you have any questions about this chapter/can't remember where we got up to, please review or DM me and I'll get back to you.**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Night**

A surprisingly warm mid-April breeze fluttered through the open window of Llewyn's playroom, causing the pages of the bedtime book Arianwen was reading to flap about. Llewyn cried out in annoyance, bouncing up and down in Arianwen's lap until she found the page they were on, where a picture of a dog was chasing a butterfly.

"You like dogs hmm?" she asked him softly. Llewyn twisted in her lap and clapped happily, his eyes sparkling. She laughed at his excitement and planted a kiss on his forehead. "Maybe we should get you one…but not until your little sister's here," she added as an afterthought, rubbing her stomach thoughtfully.

Llewyn, having forgotten about his book, slid off her lap and bent forward to rest his head on Arianwen's now five-month baby bump. She stroked his soft white-blonde hair, leaning back against the sofa behind her and thinking absently about what her new baby would look like. _She'll probably look exactly like her father_ , she thought bitterly. It was a good thing, Arianwen decided, that Llewyn had retained the soft green Gwydion eyes when he'd gone through Nimue's ritual, it would've been too painful to look into grey eyes every day – Draco's eyes.

"Duchess!" a voice she recognised to be Montgomery called from the hall, pulling her from those dangerous thoughts of a past love.

"In here!" Arianwen called back lazily, lifting Llewyn up and standing with difficulty.

"Duchess," Montgomery panted as he entered the playroom, another five or six men in his wake, "there are Death Eaters here in Carmarthenshire!"

"What?" Arianwen gasped, holding Llewyn tightly to her, as if hoping to shield him from their conversation. "How many?"

"All of them!" Montgomery exclaimed.

Aneirin stepped forward from behind Montgomery. "There's a whole army of them here," he explained quickly, "they're just now moving beyond the Dragon's Back."

Arianwen gulped, her eyes bulging as she looked between each man's face, each one equally as stunned as the next. "Then we fight." She concluded simply; it was their only choice, the Death Eaters would be upon them in minutes anyway.

"Betsy!" She called. One second later Betsy appeared in the room, rushing to help her mistress. "Take Llewyn, I want you to take him to Brianne and-"

"I'm here!" Brianne burst into the room, her cheeks red and her hair sticking unattractively to the sides of her face. "What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to take Llewyn," Arianwen ordered, "keep him safe. I have no doubt that my uncle will be amongst the Death Eaters here today." She passed Llewyn over, her heart breaking at his fearful expression, his attempts to wriggle out of Brianne's arms and back into hers. "Be good, darling," she soothed as she kissed him goodbye. Brianne nodded; she looked positively petrified, but hurried away with the young boy nevertheless.

"Right," Montgomery was saying to the small crowd that had gathered in Llewyn's playroom whilst Arianwen had been talking to Brianne. "We need to get to higher ground, where possible. My men and Gwynedd's men will take the high ground, hiding in caves and out-of-sight where possible. The Duchess of Carmarthenshire will take her men to the woods-"

"Why don't I send some to the lake too," Arianwen cut in, "we can camouflage ourselves, and if you drive them into the valley floor we can attack from within, we'll have them surrounded on all sides."

"Yes," Montgomery agreed. "Excellent. Any questions?" He barked. Nobody had any, and so, with a shared feeling of impending doom, they all marched from the house and into their positions.

* * *

Draco marched forward, cursing to himself as he scarcely avoided tripping over yet another rock. "Watch yourself, Malfoy," a cloaked figure from behind him spat as he nearly collided with him. In a move very unlike him, Draco chose not to send a scathing retort in response, his mind too caught up on the location that the Dark Lord had chosen for their latest ambush. He'd taken a leaf out of their book, he'd told the Death Eaters smugly, his mouth twisting into his most gruesome of smiles. Where better to stage a midnight attack then in the very home of the woman who'd mocked them all by escaping Malfoy Manor, by murdering so many of their comrades, and by refusing to surrender the 'key to Wales' as they now called Llewyn.

Before Draco had left Arianwen's house, Ty Myddfai, where she'd told him of her pregnancy, Draco had summoned Betsy, asked her to fetch him Arianwen's dragon brooch that she always wore with her ceremonial cloak. When Betsy refused, citing her allegiance to the Gwydion family, Draco cast an Imperius Curse on her and forced her to find it for him. Knowing that Arianwen would wear the cloak with the brooch attached when involved in any kind of warfare, he cast a seeking spell on it so that he could always find Arianwen's location.

And now, stood at the mouth of a river waiting for the order to attack, Draco cast the spell under his breath.

* * *

Shouting, swearing, cries of pain as people got hit; it was carnage. Arianwen flailed her arm around, "Confringo!" Her spell blasted a whole through the trees ahead, causing the bark to fly aflame and trees to creek as the buckled under the weight of felled trees nearby. Death Eaters were advancing upon them, they'd come much closer than any of the War Councillors had expected and now they were paying the price of underestimating the enemy. Arianwen could only hope that the fighting in the areas that the mid and northern welsh armies had covered was going better.

"Duchess!" A man she didn't recognise shouted, "duck!"

Arianwen flung herself down onto her knees and just in time – a flash of green light shot passed her, whizzing her hair in all directions as it flew past. "Argh!" The same man shouted and Arianwen shot up to see him crumple to the floor, lifeless. She sucked in the air around her, fear and panic and rage crushing her chest, preventing the air from gaining entry. Despite everything she'd seen, every death was painful, every kinsman lost - a tragedy.

And then, darkness. Pitch black. Everywhere, everything, consumed by the night. But shouts of confusion around her meant that it was not just she that was experiencing the blackness. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end suddenly; a warm, familiar hand pressed against her mouth and an arm encircled her waist from behind.

"Don't move."

* * *

She'd been dragged all the way across the fields, through the river and up the bank into her house. Poetically, her captor had taken her to the grand hall, the room in which he'd murdered her father, and bound her in ropes.

"Do you know where we are, Arianwen?" Dafydd said, his voice thick with malicious glee. "Do you recognise this room?"

Arianwen couldn't move to nod or make a sound but something of the look in her eye must have told Dafydd that she did. His smile grew even wider.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you just yet. Or at least not in the same way I killed your Father. I brought you here because I have something to show you."

Confused, Ariawnen watched as Dafydd moved towards a corner of the room that was out of her field of view. There were small sounds of struggle, as though Dafydd was trying to coax an unwilling animal out of the darkness. When he stepped back before her, however, it wasn't an animal he was holding in his arms. It was Llewyn.

Franticly, Arianwen tried to make a sound, move her arms, but she couldn't. Whatever Dafydd had done to her had completely paralysed her.

"This child," Dafydd said, "is the key to my freedom. I know all about _you_ Arianwen and your little magics," and here his face grew very sharp and almost manic, and Arianwen could see the madness that had been brewing come to the fore. "You see this?" and with a sudden jerk, he raised the arm not holding the child, his robes slipping away to the elbow and Arianwen could see a fresh and hideous scar, discoloured and warped like a burn. "I got off lightly when you escaped the first time but if I don't return with something to demonstrate my loyalty, there's no way the Dark Lord will let me live. I thought about just giving him you, but then you left _my_ son so unprotected I could hardly pass up the opportunity. The Dark Lord will grant me the highest position of favour for such a prize."

Arianwen could feel her lungs starting to constrict, whatever poison Dafydd had given her was starting to slow her breathing but she needed to fight, she needed to get free.

"Such a prize," Dafydd said again, "just think, Arianwen, the power of our bloodline under such guidance as his. My son will truly be the most powerful wizard ever to walk the Earth."

 _But Voldemort won't want a more powerful wizard,_ Arianwen thought desperately, _he'll just kill him, he'll kill him to take his power._ Arianwen reached inside herself, trying to find the ancient magic to draw it forth to kill Dafydd before he could leave with Llewyn. But there was nothing there.

She felt her body rising as Dafydd flicked his wand, the ropes fastening themselves to the ceiling and she was left suspended.

"Now, dear niece, you get to watch me walk away to victory. It'll be the last thing that you see before the poison completely overtakes you, so your suffering won't last long. Consider this my final kindness."

Llewyn was wailing in Dafydd's arms, his cries barely muffled by the fabric of Dafydd's robes, one small hand reached out for her and Arianwen could do nothing but watch as Dafydd walked through the door and into the darkness.

* * *

Draco had followed the seeking spell to the house but as Dafydd had entered the room in which he was keeping Arianwen, he had sealed the door behind him and Draco couldn't risk an explosive spell to force it open in case he killed Arianwen immediately. He didn't even know what spell Dafydd had used or if there was any way he could break it, so all he could do was wait outside and listen as Dafydd threatened first Ariawnen's life and then his son's. He knew he would have to act quickly when it became clear that Dafydd intended to leave with the baby and he positioned himself to be just outside of the doorway, gripping his wand in his suddenly sweaty palm. He had heard everything, the poison, the plot—he'd have to summon Betsy as soon as possible to get the antidote for whatever it was Dafydd had used, he could only hope that the house elf's magic could detect it in time.

The door swung open with all the pomp and drama that Draco had come to expect from Arianwen's uncle and the man himself stepped through, the squalling babe clutched in his arms. Llewyn was struggling fiercely, clearly desperate to get down, and Dafydd's arms tightened around him.

"Shut up you miserable brat!" Dafydd snapped.

"Sounds like he wants his father." Draco said, and as Dafydd turned, surprise etched across his face, Draco raised his wand and there was a flash of green light.

Dafydd collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut and Draco started forward in alarm, only to see Llewyn pushing himself free, unfazed. Looking up into Draco's face, Llewyn extended his pudgy hands in an obvious request to be held, and Draco couldn't help but smile.


	38. Chapter Thirty-Eight: Battle of Hogwarts

**A/N: Well hellooooo everyone! I really didn't intend to take so long posting this, so sorry about that.**

 **Special thank you's to the lovely HelenaBelle2 and the Guest readers for reviewing.**

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 **Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Battle of Hogwarts**

"Shit," Draco cursed as his stunning spell missed the oncoming member of the Order and reverberated off the wall behind instead. His mother's wand worked for him well enough but the accuracy could be a bit off. He'd been reluctant to take it off her but he couldn't very well capture Harry Potter without one and she had his Father to protect her. He could take comfort in the knowledge that Lucius would never let anyone so much as look at Narcissa in the wrong way.

"Locomotor Mortis!" Crabbe yelled from his right, causing the woman from the Order to topple over with a scream, her legs locked together.

"Nice!" Draco found himself complimenting his old friend, who must have been paying more attention in class since Draco had left Hogwarts.

He, Crabbe, and Goyle stepped over the woman, who was wriggling forward, trying to grasp the wand she'd dropped in the fall. They'd seen Potter, Weasley, and Granger go into the Room of Requirement, planned to ambush them, to take Potter back to the Dark Lord. It was Bellatrix's plan but his Father had urged him, his eyes pleading with him so desperately that Draco had no choice but to follow through.

They entered the Room, moving as quietly as possible towards the source of the voices from somewhere deep within the labyrinth of ancient secrets and clutter. They rounded a corner just in time to see Potter reaching out to some old warlock wearing a wig and a tiara. _Interesting priorities,_ Draco mused.

"Hold it Potter."

Harry span around, his eyes wide with surprise when he saw Crabbe and Goyle's wands pointing right at him. His face darkened when he saw Draco behind them.

"That's my wand you're holding, Potter," said Draco.

"Not anymore," panted Harry, tightening his grip on the hawthorn wand. "Winners, keepers, Malfoy. Who's lent you theirs?"

"My mother," the blonde snarled, reddening when Harry laughed at him.

"So how come you three aren't with Voldemort?"

"We're gonna be rewarded," said Crabbe, an excited tremble in his voice. "We 'ung back, Potter. We decided not to go. Decided to bring you to 'im."

"Good plan," Potter mocked.

"So how did you get in here?" he asked. It was a real effort for Draco not to roll his eyes at this obvious attempt to play for time. _Probably wondering where his little friends have gone._

"I virtually lived in the Room of Hidden Things all last year," said Draco, his voice brittle. "I know how to get in."

"We was hiding in the corridor outside," grunted Goyle. "We can do Disslusion Charms now! And then," his face split into a gormless grin, "you turned up right in front of us and said you was looking for a die-dum! What's a die-dum?"

"Harry?" Weasley's voice echoed suddenly from the other side of the wall to Potter's right. "Are you talking to someone?"

With a whiplike movement Draco thought impossible of his ogre-like friend, Crabbe pointed his wand at the fifty foot mountain of old furniture, of broken trunks, of old books and robes and unidentifiable junk, and shouted, "Descendo!" The wall began to totter, then the top third crumbled into the aisle next door where Wealsey stood.

"Ron!" Potter bellowed, as somewhere out of sight a girl screamed, presumably Granger, and rumbling crashing sounds signified the wall of junk falling apart. Potter pointed his wand at the rampart, cried, "Finite!" and it steadied.

"No!" shouted Draco, staying Crabbe's arm as the latter made to repeat his spell. "If you wreck the room you might bury this diadem thing!"

"What's that matter?" said Crabbe, tugging himself free. "It's Potter the Dark Lord wants, who cares about a die-dum?"

"Potter came in here to get it," Draco said slowly and clearly, as if that might help his dim-witted colleagues pick up on the point, "so that must mean-"

"'Must mean'?" Crabbe turned on him with undisguised ferocity. "Who cares what you think? I don't take your orders no more, Draco. You an' your dad are finished."

"Harry?" shouted Weasley again, from the other side of the junk wad. "What's going on?"

"Harry?" mimicked Crabbe. "What's going on - no, Potter! Crucio!"

Potter had lunged for the tiara; Crabbe's curse missed him but hit the stone bust, which flew into the air; the diadem soared upward and then dropped out of sight in the mass of objects on which the bust had rested.

"STOP!" Draco yelled at Crabbe, his voice echoing through the enormous room. He had to make them see sense before they got his whole family murdered. "The Dark Lord wants him alive-"

"So? I'm not killing him, am I?" yelled Crabbe, throwing off Malfoy's restraining arm. "But if I can, I will, the Dark Lord wants him dead anyway, what's the diff-?"

A jet of scarlet light shot towards them; Draco grabbed Crabbe's arm and pulled him out of the way just in time.

"It's that Mudblood! Avada Kedavra!"

Potter, incensed that Crabbe had shot a killing curse at his friend, shot a stunning spell at Crabbe, who lurched out of the way, knocking Narcissa's wand out of Draco's hand. It rolled out of sight beneath a mountain of broken furniture and bones.

"Don't kill him! DON'T KILL HIM!" Draco roared at Crabbe and Goyle, who were both aiming at Potter. Their split second's hesitation was all he needed.

"Expelliarmus!"

A great clash of furiously fired spells ensued. Draco; wandless, and frankly, rather helpless; dove behind a large three-legged wardrobe for cover. Goyle was next to lose his wand; he leapt around foolishly on the spot, trying to retrieve it from somewhere within the rubbish heap.

"It's somewhere here!" Potter shouted to Granger over the furore, pointing at the pile of junk into which the old tiara had fallen. "Look for it while I go and help R-"

"HARRY!" she screamed.

A roaring, billowing noise behind Harry and Draco gave them a moment's warning. Draco turned and saw both Weasley and Crabbe running as hard as they could up the aisle toward them.

"Like it hot, scum?" roared Crabbe as he ran.

But he seemed to have no control over what he had done. Flames of abnormal size were pursuing them, licking up the sides of the junk bulwarks, which were crumbling to soot at their touch.

"Aguamenti!" Potter bawled, but the jet of water that soared from the tip of his wand evaporated in the air.

"RUN!"

Draco grabbed the stunned Goyle and dragged him along, thankfully his muscles had become used to bearing such heavy loads from his time with the werewolves; Crabbe outstripped all of them, now looking terrified; Potter, Weasley, and Granger pelted along in his wake, and the fire pursued them. It was not normal fire; it was fiendfyre: the flames chased them as though they were alive, sentient, intent upon killing them. Now the fire was mutating, forming a gigantic pack of fiery beasts: flaming serpents, chimaeras, and dragons rose and fell and rose again, and the detritus of centuries on which they were feeding was thrown up into the air into their fanged mouths, tossed high on clawed feet, before being consumed by the inferno.

Draco and Crabbe rounded the corner, an unconscious Goyle being hauled along in their wake. They were surrounded on all sides, great walls of flames pressing in on them, suffocating them. "This way!" Draco shouted over the blaze, indicating with his head to a thin gap in the flames. Crabbe bounded towards it with no thought of his friends, out of sight within seconds.

"Fuck!" Draco half shouted, half cried. The gap had closed, the only way out was up. He hauled Goyle up and over his shoulder, then began to climb up a pile of books, onto a spindly table and finally on top of a bunch of charred desks. The flames were licking up the sides of the precarious mound Draco had positioned them on, Goyle was a dead weight on his shoulder as he desperately shouted, "Accio wand!", but the inferno drowned out his voice. He never thought it would end like this, hoisting Goyle higher up his shoulder he realised how stupid he'd been to push Arianwen away, as if he could protect her any better from a distance than he could from by her side. _I can't protect shit._

"Malfoy!" A shout interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see Potter swooping down towards them on a broom, his hand outstretched. But Goyle was too heavy and Draco's hand slid away.

"IF WE DIE FOR THEM, I'LL KILL YOU, HARRY!" Weasley roared, soaring down with Granger behind him on the broom, and dragged Goyle up to safety. Draco leapt onto Potter's hovering broom. "Get to the door!"

They flew towards a small rectangle of light in the distance and seconds later had plunged into the corridor wall on the other side. Draco was lurched off the broom and fell, facedown, gasping, coughing, and retching. Potter rolled over and sat up. The door to the Room of Requirement had vanished, and Weasley and Granger sat panting on the floor beside Goyle, who was still unconscious.

"C-Crabbe," choked Draco as soon as he could speak. "C-Crabbe..."

"He's dead," Weasley said harshly.

There was silence, apart from panting and coughing. Then a number of huge bangs shook the castle, and a great cavalcade of transparent figures galloped past on horses, their heads screaming with bloodlust under their arms. Potter staggered to his feet when the Headless Hunt had passed and looked around. The battle was still going on all around them. "Come on, let's go!" and the three cronies ran off, the sooty diadem lying in pieces on the floor.

Draco coughed violently, disgusting black mucus coming up with it. He got up shakily and dragged Goyle to a tapestry of what should have been a pompous knight on his equally pompous stallion, however both had deserted the cloth. He pulled the tapestry aside to reveal a small alcove; with some difficulty, he managed to shove Goyle inside.

He ran as quickly as he could to the crowded entrance hall, planning to go out to the grounds and find his parents. Just as he entered the hall a swish of a long jade-green cloak caught Draco's eye and he turned his head to the left to see a familiar man, his hair perfectly neat and unruffled as it always was, graceful even when in battle. And to his complete horror, Draco realised that the man wasn't alone. Swarms of Welsh witches and wizards descended forth upon the entrance hall, throwing jinxes and curses and hexes everywhere, hitting the darkly clad Death Eaters left, right, and centre.

Within seconds Draco stood alone, surrounded by his fallen allies, if you could call them that. And suddenly someone was upon him, physically upon him, dragging him backwards by his throat. He spluttered wildly, scrabbling at his captors arm to release him, give him air.

"Bedwyr! Let him go!" Aneirin barked, his jade-green robes sweeping behind him as he strode towards the pair.

The grip on Draco's throat was released. He span around and glared at the man who had attacked him, rubbing distractedly at his bruised neck. "I've been waiting to get my hands on you, Malfoy." Gwyn growled.

"Well there's a pity," Draco drawled. "I'm afraid you're not my type, Bedwyr."

"Fuck you!" Gwyn yelled, pouncing at Draco and knocking him to the floor. He beat repeatedly at Draco's face, then scrambled back and kicked him hard in the stomach.

"I told you to _stop_ , Bedwyr." Aneirin's voice boomed above Draco, taught and jagged as he seized the younger man and forced him off his victim.

"Let go of me, Elisedd! Let. Fucking. Go." Gwyn heaved all his weight against Aneirin, forgetting, it seemed, that he was wizard.

"No." Aneirin responded calmly as Draco dragged himself back to his feet.

"BASTARD!" Gwyn roared. "You got my fucking girlfriend pregnant!"

Through the thumping in his skull, the weight of Gwyn's words fell on him. "Where is she?" He snapped, the question directed more at Aneirin than at the enraged man he was restraining.

"She's-"

But Gwyn yelled over Aneirin. "She's fucking _here_ you UNBELIEVABLE STUPID FUCKING-"

"She came looking for you." Aneirin interrupted, frowning. "We were all together when we found out what was happening here, she refused to stay-"

"AND YOU LET HER?" Draco was beside himself. "SHE'S PREGNANT FOR MERLIN'S SAKE!" He didn't wait around for either man to respond, instead catapulting out into the grounds.

* * *

Despite being wandless, he threw himself into the thick of it. "Arianwen?" He bellowed, shoving people out of the way as he sought out Arianwen's distinctive blonde locks.

"Brianne!" he shouted just as she blasted the Death Eater she was fighting out of the way.

"Malfoy." she growled, turning her wand on him instead.

"No-no, don't! I just want to find Arianwen!" he beseeched.

"She's here you know," Brianne yelled distractedly, shooting a jinx at another attacker.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Draco took a hold of Brianne's arm and yanked her down so that they were squatting behind a small rocky hill. "I know she's here, that's why I'm trying to _find_ her." He snapped.

"She's gone," Brianne spat, glowering murderously at him. "She got attacked, had to go to the hospital to get checked out."

"She's hurt?" Draco's head was spinning. "But she can heal herself can't she?"

"Not anymore." Brianne said sadly. "Her uncle poisoned her with some ancient potion no one had ever heard of before. Betsy was able to get her an antidote but it's had some lasting effects on her."

His heart was pounding. "So is she okay or not?!"

"What does it matter to you?" Brianne sniffed.

Draco practically growled in her face. "Fuck this!" He ran off without looking back. He could find out what happened himself.

* * *

Draco ran down corridor after corridor, people blurring past him as he tried desperately to find Arianwen. "Damnit!" He yelled, sinking his fist into a wall as his quest hit another dead end.

"Excuse me sir!" A frightened nurse squeaked to his left. "Can I help you?"

Draco turned, his eyes wide, he staggered over and grasped the nurse by the shoulders. "I need to find Arianwen Gwydion," he pleaded, "I need to see her! Tell me where she is!"

"Arianwen Gwydion," the nurse repeated thoughtfully, trying not to tremble under the manic stare of the man covered in blood and soot before her. "Blonde?" she asked. "Welsh accent?" Draco agreed urgently. "Sure! She's right through here, follow me."

She guided him down the corridor and to the right, stopping in front of a handleless white door, a chalk sign at the centre that read 'Duchess Arianwen Gwydion – Maternity'. "She's in there sir," the nurse said in a tone Draco couldn't quite understand. He pushed the door open nervously and suddenly all his urgency seemed to slip away.

"Arianwen?" he asked softly. She didn't move, her head remaining bowed over the tiny bundle in her arms. He moved forward tentatively, his feet squeaking across the freshly mopped tile. He reached out to touch her arm but just before his skin met hers, she spoke.

"She's dead." Her tone was calm, matter of fact, even. But when she drew her head up so that their eyes could meet, he saw the anguish there, the pain blotched all over her face.

"Wh-what?" he stammered. "No! No that can't be right, that can't be right! Let me see her!"

Arianwen closed her eyes, tears streaming through her eyelashes; it was all too much. She let her head fall back on the pillows so that Draco could get a closer look at his daughter. He made a tight, anguished cry, so pained that it caused tears to burst through her eyelashes. "What happened?" he eventually choked out.

"It was Greyback," Arianwen said tonelessly, her eyes still clamped shut, salty tears spilling into her mouth as she spoke, "I was running from Knot and he saw me, followed me down the corridor, grabbed me from behind-"

Draco's jaw was clamped so tightly that his teeth had begun to grind painfully together, blind rage coursing violently through him. "-and he pushed me against the wall, he tried-" her voice wavered, her lips trembling, eyes bright with fear.

"Go on," Draco urged in what he hoped would be a comforting tone.

She sucked in a deep breath. "He tried to-to touch me and my magic, it wasn't working, I couldn't make him stop!" Her voice was becoming steadily more desperate as she continued on. "And then there was this shout from the other end of the corridor and he got distracted so I managed to kick him in the shin and run. I made it to the stairs, was almost at the top when he caught up with me, swiped at my ankles and made me trip."

"You fell?" Draco asked numbly.

"All the way to the bottom." Arianwen confirmed. "I was bleeding everywhere," she whispered.

"How did you get out?" Draco asked stiffly.

"Ginny Weasley helped me, took me to the nearest Floo."

He nodded wordlessly, stunned into a horrified silence. A mix of guilt and sorrow and relief that at least Arianwen was alive was swirling inside him, so overpowering that he couldn't comprehend which emotion he was feeling.

"They made me give birth," Arianwen cried, her agonised voice barely above a whisper, "they made me give birth but they knew she was already dead. How-how could they do that to me?" It was an impossible question and one which tore at Draco's heart even more awfully each time she repeated it. He leant forward, enveloped her in a tight hug, their child lying motionless within their embrace.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered in between planting soft kisses on her head, "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault, I should have stopped Greyback from coming, I'm so sor-"

"What?" Arianwen asked quickly, pulling away from their embrace so she could face him again. "What are you saying?"

Draco's lips parted but no sound escaped. Not that it needed to, his eyes gave away everything that his mouth could not. "You knew he was going to be at Hogwarts, didn't you?" Arianwen accused hotly. "You knew he was going to be there around all those children?"

"Yes," Draco said quickly, "but-"

"No buts!" Arianwen shouted over him. "You didn't stop him! This is all your fault! It may as well have been you that killed her!"

Draco stepped forward, his hands outstretched, desperate to do anything to stop her suffering. But right at that moment, the door was flung open and five armed Aurors darted inside.

"Draco Malfoy?" one of the Aurors, clearly the leader, asked.

Draco paid no notice to them, his attention still fixated on his devastated love. "Arianwen please-"

"Draco Malfoy you are under arrest. Surrender your wand, we are here to escort you to Azkaban."

He looked over at them, wands raised and pointing directly at his chest. "Take it," he lobbed his wand inelegantly in their direction, then looked back at the bed. "Arianwen please love, please let me explain?" But she was staring at him with the most incomprehenshible hatred that all Draco could do was continue to plead with her.

"Come with us," one of the larger Aurors grabbed his arm, another one appearing on his other side just seconds later.

"No!" Draco yelled. "Not until I explain! Arianwen please, I love you-"

"DON'T!" Ariawwen screamed. "Don't you dare you-you-MURDERER!" She clutched her tiny baby to her chest as if trying to protect her from the distraught man in the doorway. "Take him away!" she sobbed. "Let him rot!"

"NO!" Draco cried, his eyes completely bloodshot as more tears rolled on and on. "Arianwen, no!" But his protests fell on deaf ears and the men dragged him away, kicking and screaming to the very depths of all hell, leaving Arianwen all alone with her baby.

* * *

For a long time Arianwen watched the spot where Draco had just been, past the point of tears or anger or…anything.

She looked back down at her perfect little girl, their faces just centimetres apart. "Anneliese," she whispered, "that's what I wanted to call you; after my mother."

And then slowly, wistfully, she bent her head just that little bit lower so that their noses brushed. "I love you my darling." And pressed a most tender kiss to her baby's cold forehead.

* * *

 **A/N: One more chapter to go peeps, get excited! I've also been setting this up for a potential sequel but would only really get round to writing it if there's sufficient interest - what do you think guys, sequel or no sequel?**

 **I can't believe it's nearly over, so bittersweet!**


	39. Chapter Thirty-Nine: Reprieve

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: Reprieve**

Arianwen sighed. Llewyn had been particularly fussy that evening and was refusing to go down for a nap; Arianwen could never refer to it as sleep as Llewyn was always so restless and barely ever slept longer than three hours at a time. They were now huddled together on a sofa in Llewyn's nursery, a gentle fire providing them with a welcome blanket of warmth. The small boy was now two years old and able to talk, though he only really did so around his mother; he was quite a shy-natured child.

"What's that, Lewy?" She pointed to the shape she'd conjured out of the flames.

"Dog!" Llewyn exclaimed, clapping his hands on her chest and using his leverage to push his excited face as close to hers as possible. Arianwen giggled, amused by Llewyn's tiny pleased face obscuring her vision.

A small knock at the door alerted them to Betsy's presence. Arianwen didn't bother to look up, she and Llewyn still giggling together. "Everything alright, Bet-" Arianwen began to say, but when she saw who had accompanied the elf into the room, her words seemed to leave her.

"Narcissa?" She said, disbelieving. "What are you doing here?"

The older woman, who had momentarily frozen at the sight of her surrogate daughter, blinked, her head clearing. "You haven't responded to any of my letters of late, I wanted to make sure you're alright."

"Well," Arianwen said stiffly, "now that you've seen I'm fine…you can go."

Narcissa's mouth thinned, her face distraught. "Arianwen, sweetheart, please don't shut me out, you know I love you as one of my own."

Arianwen just stared back in response, the words unable to penetrate the walls that had erected around her heart.

"Would my lady like to sit?" Betsy said awkwardly from the doorway when it became clear that Arianwen had no intention of responding. "Betsy can make Mrs Narcissa some tea?"

"Yes, thank you Betsy." Narcissa said courteously, perching on the nearest armchair to the young blonde, who was staring resolutely into the fireplace. Her gaze was drawn instead to the child on Arianwen's lap, who was watching her, transfixed. She smiled, he was the perfect mix of Draco and Arianwen. Slowly, he removed his head from where it had been tucked into his mother's neck, clearly a point of refuge for him, and wriggled off of her lap. His movements now caught his mother's gaze too, who watched as he tottered over to the coffee table, picked up a coaster and took it over to Narcissa.

"Thank you, dear." She smiled, accepting the gift. He made a gleeful sound and went to fetch her another one, until she was holding every coaster like object within his reach.

"I don't know why he likes them so much," Arianwen commented, her stony silence now broken with the same amused smile she'd worn when Narcissa first arrived.

"May I?" Narcissa asked, her hands hovering by Llewyn's waist, ready to lift him up. Arianwen nodded.

"Do you know who this is?" Arianwen asked him gently. The toddler shook his head, his big green eyes watching Narcissa like she was some alien object. "This is your gra- this is Mrs Malfoy" Arianwen corrected herself. Narcissa looked up, meeting Arianwen's gaze with sad eyes.

"How have you been?"

Arianwen snorted. "Never better."

Narcissa looked away, berating herself for asking such a stupid question. Thankfully, at that moment Betsy returned with the tea and they were able to occupy the silence for a while. "I wanted to be there." Narcissa said eventually.

Arianwen knew exactly where 'there' was, and it was not something she wanted to think about: the day she buried her daughter. She found herself unable to speak, a thick lump had materialised in her throat faster than she'd even been able to blink. She settled for a nod instead.

"He wanted to be there too," Narcissa added. "So much."

Arianwen's mouth twisted into an ugly sneer, a look quite foreign to her features. Narcissa was talking, of course, of Draco, who had been incarcerated in Azkaban for the past six months. In fact, all of the Malfoy's had been taken to prison after the Battle of Hogwarts; Narcissa was the first to be released, held for just two weeks until it was decided that she was fairly innocent as these things go. Unfortunately, it was still two weeks too long, and Arianwen had been forced to bury her child on her own. Oddly, Lucius was next to be released, it appeared even after everything he still had some powerful friends at the Ministry and they had spun a tale of his switching allegiance before the war was done. Draco, however, was a different story. Word had got out about his involvement in the muggle massacres in Bulgaria and his actions were deemed barbaric, even more so than some of the other Death Eaters because at least they used magic to kill people, rather than werewolf brutality to maim and eat them. What had resulted from this news was unparalleled public outrage, and much to his parents dismay, Draco had become the person to make an example of.

"They've set a date for his trial," Narcissa said warily, "it's two days from now."

Arianwen hummed in agreement. She had known the date of Draco's trial, it would have been rather impossible to avoid it, what with his face plastered all over every newspaper in Britain and beyond.

"If you were just to give testimony-" the older woman started, her eyes beseeching Arianwen for help.

"So that's why you're here then?" Arianwen said flatly. "You're not here to see me at all are you? You just want to make sure I'll speak on behalf of your precious Draco." Her tone was venemous.

"No!" Narcissa exclaimed. "I've been desperate to see you, of course I have, but Draco- his counsel says he needs all the help he can get and people will take what you have to say seriously-"

"And what makes you think I have anything to say that will save him?" Arianwen interrupted hotly.

"He loves you!" Narcissa pleaded. "He carried this with him everywhere, look!" She reached into her pocket and retrieved a folded, battered photograph, reaching over Llewyn to press it into her palms.

Arianwen opened the picture, trying to will her hands to stop shaking. It was the two of them, Draco and Arianwen, huddled under Draco's cloak on a bench overlooking the lake at Ty Myddfai; their younger selves looked so content in each others embrace that Arianwen actually couldn't stand to look at it. She tossed it to the ground.

"So? One picture doesn't excuse everything he did to me, said to me. He crushed me, Narcissa, there's no coming back from that."

"He was trying to protect you," Narcissa cried, her lip trembling.

"Yeah?" Hot tears were leaking from Arianwen's eyes now, and her voice cracked when she spoke. "And look what good that's done!"

"Arianwen please-"

"No! Do NOT ask this of me! I buried my daughter six months ago, Narcissa, and I buried him with her." She picked her son off of Narcissa's lap, who'd begun balling at the sight of his mother's distress. "I think we're done here." She said in a tone that didn't allow for debate.

Recognising defeat, a forlorn Narcissa got to her feet and crossed the room to the door. Just before she left, she turned back. "Even if you don't come on Thursday, I still love you, my child."

Arianwen let out a long breath once Narcissa was gone; she bounced Llewyn gently in her arms, hoping to calm him down some. "Come on," she soothed, "you can sleep in Mummy's bed tonight."

And, as predicted, Llewyn calmed almost instantly and Arianwen found herself very glad of her son's constant need for proximity.

* * *

A loud thumping stirred Arianwen from her sleep. "Go 'way Bets," she mumbled, swatting one arm in the air to make her point.

"Duchess," a smooth, amused voice sounded from the foot of her bed.

"Mmph!" Arianwen shot up to see Aneirin laughing at her.

"Betsy!" The bleary eyed girl moaned, turning on the house elf stood sheepishly in the doorway. "I said no visitors in my bedroom!"

"Maybe if Miss Duchess would get out of bed when Betsy tells her Miss wouldn't have visitors in her bedroom." Betsy replied tartly. Arianwen rubbed her eyes, Betsy's unimpressed frown coming into full focus. _So much for sheepish,_ she thought moodily, glaring at the house elf as she left the room.

"I'm afraid I must second your elf's statement."

"Why?" Arianwen frowned. "What's happened?"

Aneirin didn't answer for a moment, seemingly trying to decide how to phrase his next sentence. In the end, he just said, "the trial is today."

Arianwen blinked. Today, Thursday, Draco Malfoy's trial, the one that would decide if he would be imprisoned for life. "I'm aware." She responded coolly. "and I'm not going."

Her friend sighed deeply, a move that irritated Arianwen to no end, and fixed her with a knowing stare. "Don't you want to give your testimony?"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't even know what to say, I doubt it would be anything good."

"You don't need to say anything for or against him. Don't think of it like that, just have your say, maybe it'll give you some closure." He reasoned. Arianwen didn't really know what to say to that. She could feel tears beginning to prick at her eyes and cursed _that boy_ for still having such an effect on her. "Look, I'm not going to drag you there," Aneirin was still speaking, "but I'll be giving testimony too, so you won't have to do it alone."

"You're giving testimony?" Her brow ruffled, trying to understand. "Why?"

"Come and you'll find out." Deciding he'd put forward as convincing of an argument as he could, Aneirin exited the room, his ceremonial green robes swishing behind him.

Aneirin's foot had just left the last step and landed on the flagstone of the entrance hall when Arianwen came flying to the top of the stairs. "Wait!" She shouted. "Just wait, will you!"

Aneirin turned slowly, for effect. He raised a brow questioningly, as if he didn't already suspect what she was about to say. "I'm coming with you. Happy? Just give me a second to get changed."

* * *

The chamber being used by the Wizengamot for the trials was bleak to say the least. High stone stands surrounded three of the walls, magically tilted so that each member of the audience could lean towards the proceedings below and, Arianwen imagined, intimidate the defendant. The fourth wall was empty, save for some paintings of ancient haughty looking wizards surveying them pretentiously.

"Here," Aneirin said quietly, gesturing to one of the front benches. Arianwen followed and placed herself down beside him, noting her name in cursive on the seat. She cast her eyes down the row, noting the names of the others giving evidence. To her left, Aneirin, and to her right the cursive read 'Neil Thatcher'. Arianwen recognised the woman sitting next to the absent Neil as Maria Rowle: they'd met briefly at one of Narcissa's Historic Housing fundraising events; and next to her, someone they went to Hogwarts with, a Hufflepuff. Finally, right on the end, was Harry Potter.

Casting her eyes around the rest of the room, she recognised some faces: Hermione Granger, Ron and Ginny Weasley, and…Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Narcissa, who'd clearly been watching the younger woman, smiled gratefully when she saw her. Arianwen looked away. _I'm not here to help him,_ she told herself angrily, _not after everything he's done._

The elusive Neil now took his seat next to her, just as the rest of the onlookers took theirs. She cast a brief sideways glance at him, long mousey-brown hair framed what looked like a particularly painful black eye, which had swollen in such a way that it gave him almost alien-like cheekbones. She was just examining the rather worse for wear faux dragon-hide boots when a loud clunking caused her attention to shoot to the far side of the chamber. Out of the floor, three short tiered stands were rising, carrying with them some very nonchalant looking wizards. _I suppose they've done a lot of these by now,_ she reasoned to herself. A long banner fell above the new stands; it unfurled to read 'The People v Draco Malfoy'

"Good afternoon," Amelia Bones, now Chief Witch of the Wizengamot, said solemnly. "We are gathered here today for the trial Draco Lucius Malfoy, who shall be tried and sentenced in accordance with the Patagonia Treaty and War Criminals Sentencing Act 1945." As if on queue the metal doors to the great chamber clanged open and a number of Aurors dragged a shell of a man by his chains to the stiff chair in the centre of the room. The chains on the chair practically squealed with excitement as their next prisoner was brought nearer; they encircled his legs, arms and chest greedily.

Arianwen was frozen. The doors to the chamber were positioned on the same wall as the benches on which she and Aneirin sat so Draco hadn't seen her as he came in. Even now, he didn't look around, he merely stared straight ahead. Prison life clearly hadn't been kind to him. He looked thin, drawn, and resigned to a life in captivity. It rose in her a mix of emotions that formed a tight knot in her stomach. _You hate him,_ she reminded herself. She made her thoughts dive backwards to the memories of the vile things he had said to her and found the hatred flow much more easily.

"Mr. Draco Lucius Malfoy," Madame Bones began. "Today the Court shall hear evidence to decide your guilt for allegedly committing the following offences: the contravention of the Statute of Secrecy: Section 12 by deliberately and openly using magic to lead Muggles to injury or death by the hand of witches, wizards, or any other creature that can be reasonably considered to possess magical abilities; and contravention of the Patagonia Treaty by the use of Unforgivable Curses to maim, manipulate, or murder; aiding and abetting known war criminals; and membership of the Death Eater movement.

Mr. Malfoy, do you understand that if you are deemed to have committed one or all of these offences, you shall be tried under the Patagonia Conventions and sentenced to life imprisonment under the War Criminals Sentencing Act 1945?"

"Yes." Was all Draco said. Narcissa, opposite, let out a loud sob, quickly quietened by her husband, who looked perhaps even more sickly than Draco himself at the thought of his only son being locked away for the rest of his days.

"Very well," Madam Bones looked as serious as ever. "The Court shall now hear testimony from Neil Thatcher."

Thatcher made his way to the chair that had materialised next to Draco, this one not covered in chains, and made a show of how painful it was for him to sit down. Draco watched the man with ill-disguised hatred, his mind clearly just as astute as it had been before Azkaban, even if his body was not.

"Please state your name and occupation for the record." Thatcher was instructed by a clerk.

"Neil Harrison Thatcher. I'm an Auror and currently stationed in Azkaban as a guard."

Arianwen shared a quick look of confusion with Aneirin before Madam Bones started speaking again. "Mr. Thatcher, please explain to the Court what happened on the morning of 9th December 1988?"

"Well," Thatcher began eagerly, clearly keen to share his story, "I was handing out the morning paper and stopped to talk to Malfoy here about the cover story that day, when Malfoy grabbed me through the bars and started smashing my head against the rails. Took three Stunners from the boys to get him off me."

There were murmurings in the audience; in the Wizengamot stands too, a number of people were whispering to each other, all looking alarmed.

"Mr. Thatcher," Neil was now being addressed by none other than the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, "what relevance does this story have to the accusations against the defendant?" Whilst it sounded harsh, it was not a question posed to embarrass or discredit the Auror and Thatcher seemed content enough to take it at face value.

"I want the Wizengamot to know that this man doesn't deserve your forgiveness, he is as violent and unhinged now as he was when my colleagues and I faced him in the war. He-"

" _Thank you_ , Mr. Thatcher," Madame Bones cut in pointedly. "What I don't quite understand is why Mr. Malfoy attacked you, sir. There are no other records of violence from him that I can see here," she shuffled some papers, her glasses positioned on the very end of her nose, "no, nothing. So why then, Mr. Malfoy, did you decide to attack Mr. Thatcher on this particular day? Or do you deny doing so at all?"

"I don't deny it," Draco said smoothly, his voice deep, dangerous. More outraged murmurings broke out across the stands.

"You don't deny it?" She questioned somewhat disbelievingly.

"No." Draco growled. "He's a cunt."

Aneirin coughed suddenly, his hand covering what looked to be a smile.

"Mr. Malfoy! Might I remind you that you the stakes of this trial are extremely high, I suggest you take it seriously!" Madame Bones chastised over the shocked chatter in the room. "Now, please tell us why you attacked Mr. Thatcher."

Draco hesitated, for the first time looking uncomfortable. "He was goading me."

"Goading you?" Bones encouraged.

Draco sighed, knowing he wasn't going to be able to keep this one to himself. "Yes, goading me. My err- a girl I used to see was in the paper, Thatcher made comments about her, comments I didn't like."

Aneirin nudged Arianwen's arm, raising his eyebrows meaningfully, Arianwen blushed.

"So you mean to say that you, let me see," she shuffled her papers again, "beat this man 'forcefully and repetitively, causing a broken nose, black eyes,' and even some 'broken ribs and pelvis', because he made a comment you didn't like about a girl you've been with?"

"Yes!" Draco growled, reddening as some of the people around him laughed at him. Arianwen's face was growing hotter by the second, it was clearly her that they'd been referring to! She hoped that the other onlookers wouldn't know their history and guess it was her. She wondered what the Auror had said about her - the thought sent a fresh wave of anger rippling down her spine.

"I think we need to know the extent of the statements made against this girlfriend of yours, Mr. Malfoy." Kingsley added, the voice of reason, as ever.

Draco glared at the Auror sitting next to him, who was maintaining a look of innocence throughout the whole thing. "He said he wanted her…sexually." He moved in his chair awkwardly. "Said he could get her address, go over there and watch her in the shower, take pictures of her, said there was nothing I could do about it. Well - I did the only thing I could."

Arianwen shared in the horrified cries that erupted across the hall. Thatcher himself had actually stood up out of his chair and was flailing his arms around crazily, though what he was saying was lost to the noise of the onlookers. Interestingly, people seemed quite able to believe Draco's version of events and were now directing their outrage at Thatcher. She felt the eyes of her classmates on her and her cheeks burned redder still.

Neil Thatcher was removed from the hall promptly afterwards, no doubt to be submitted to scrutiny under veritaserum and the next person was called up to testify. Maria Rowle spoke heatedly about how Draco had tortured her son with the Cruciatus Curse and again, Draco didn't deny his actions: "It was c _rucio_ Rowle or the Dark Lord would kill my parents. I doubt any of you would have made a different choice if you were in my position." Maria returned to her seat in fits of hysterics - Thorfinn didn't make it to see the end of the war.

Next it was Harry Potter. His evidence, much to the surprise of everyone there, was quite balanced. He explained how Draco had pretended not to know who he was when he was captured by Snatchers and brought to Malfoy Manor, granting them some time to escape. In contrast to this, however, Harry spoke of how Draco and his friends were planning to deliver him to Voldemort when they followed he, Ron, and Hermione into the Room of Requirement. By the looks on the faces of the people on the Wizengamot stands, Harry's testimony had not pushed favour in Draco's direction.

"Alright," Madame Bones said with a poorly repressed sigh, "I now invite the Duke of Gwynedd to the chair."

He shot Arianwen an encouraging smile, then descended to the chair next to Draco. The latter was still staring ahead blankly, it concerned Aneirin - he wanted to know what was going on in that head. Being locked up in prison straight after you find out your newborn is dead and the mother blames it on you had to be a lot to bear for even the most stable of men, and in Aneirin's experience Draco was anything but stable.

The blonde, sensing Aneirin's presence next to him, shuffled, but didn't look his way.

"My Lord," Bones addressed him, "it is good of you to assist us with this trial."

"Of course," Aneirin nodded courteously.

"I understand that you wish to offer testimony to defend Mr. Malfoy of the charge of contravening the Statute of Secrecy, please explain to the Court why the defendant is not guilty of this offence?"

"Certainly. As I'm sure you remember, when the Death Eaters infiltrated the Ministry, they put a tracker on all portkey creations in an attempt to capture Mr. Potter. I knew that Mr. Malfoy had gotten a couple of, shall we say, _untraceable_ portkeys from a contact of his and asked him to meet with me, which he did at a great risk to himself, might I add."

"What relevance does this tale have?" One of the Wizengamot wizards shouted from the back bench.

Aneirin continued, unfazed. "Mr. Malfoy agreed to supply me with portkeys on mass to transport muggleborns and their families to safety with me in North Wales. Thanks to those portkeys, countless families were spared persecution."

Arianwen sat, quite shocked, and stared at the two of them. _They helped muggleborns escape? Surely not. Draco wouldn't risk so much!_

It appeared she wasn't the only one having a hard time believing it, the whole room had broken into a buzz of chatter. Madame Bones interjected, a slight tone of disbelief evident in her voice: "I'm sorry, Your Grace, but I'm having a hard time believing that Mr. Malfoy would risk so much when he has already testified to say that he tortured a fellow Death Eater in fear that if he did not his family would be killed."

"Aye," a back bencher called out, "especially when Potter's just told us all how prejudiced the boy was in school!"

"Hear hear!" Others piped up.

Aneirin, his voice raised to drown out the rest, intervened: "I appreciate that it is hard for some of you to appreciate that Mr. Malfoy could be a good man. When you look at him all you see is his wealth, the status that his name brings him, and the general embodiment of everything that has plagued you during this terrible war. However, I would urge you to think about what you would have done in his position. A young man forced to join a movement not because he believed in it, but because he needed to fill his father's shoes. A young man forced to give up his youth and his innocence and his education to train as a faceless warrior for Lord Voldemort, forced to watch his parents tortured and humiliated in their own home and have this used as duress to commit terrible acts himself.

"I'm not saying that Mr. Malfoy is innocent. He, himself, does not even claim to be so. But what I am saying is that he rebelled in his own way, he helped save hundreds of lives, and that is not something that should be taken lightly. I ask you to think what you would have done in his position." A long and stunned silence, nobody dared move. "Now, I appreciate that you will still want to hear evidence, so I ask that you call Mr. Finch Fletchey to the Chair next."

And so they did. Justin, who cast a quick terrified look at Draco's withdrawn face, spoke shakily but told the court all about how Draco had found them and guided them to where he hid the portkeys. When asked if Justin thought Draco should be released, he said: "I can't say I ever saw eye-to-eye with Malfoy in school but it's like the Duke said, Malfoy was in an impossible position, he shouldn't be locked away for life because of that."

"And what about all the muggles in Bulgaria that he led to slaughter by the werewolves?" Kingsley had asked rather indelicately.

Justin's face went sheet-white. "Horrible!" He cried. "An atrocious act, absolutely! But it's easy to sit on your high horse and judge people after the fact, isn't it? I mean when you really think about it, really put yourself in Malfoy's shoes and think about your loved ones who were going to be killed if you didn't toe the line, I think we might have done it too."

"Certainly not!" One person shouted, appalled.

"I would have fought back!" A man at the front added.

"Yes," another joined in, "he should've fought them from within!"

"I did fight back," Draco's voice sounded wearily, silencing them all faster than _silencio,_ "I didn't risk my neck to get those families out for fun you know. I may not have done it in the same way as a Gryffindor but I still fought back."

Madame Bones blinked a few times, before clearing her throat and saying: "Um, right, yes, that's noted, Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Finch-Fletchey, you may return to your seat." She shuffled some more papers, distractedly. "And finally, we have requested the testimony of the Duchess of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, Arianwen Gwydion."

Automatically at the sound of her name, Arianwen stood, though her head was clouded with a fog of confusion and her legs had to act independently to bring her to the chair beside Draco. She sensed him beside her, sensed his utter shock at her attendance of the trial. _Narcissa probably told him I wasn't going to come._ She couldn't bring herself to look at him. Not yet.

"Duchess," Bones greeted, "thank you for agreeing to testify." Arianwen dipped her head to her, unable to speak. "We have a record from the Aurors that removed Mr. Malfoy from St Mungo's Hospital in order to escort him to Azkaban prison, that upon their arrival you called Mr. Malfoy a murderer and stated he should be locked away to 'rot'. Please can you tell the court why you expressed these sentiments?"

Arianwen gulped, her heart in her brain, her fingers frozen yet shaking. "I blamed him," she offered lamely.

"What for?" Bones pressed.

She gulped again. "I-I was pregnant and I fell, Greyback, he pulled me down." She stared hollowly into Bones' crisp blue eyes. "I-we-" she took a deep breath. "We lost the baby." She couldn't go on, images of her child's burial surging through her mind.

"I'm very sorry for your loss," Bones said gently, genuinely sorry, "but I'm afraid I don't quite understand."

Arianwen breathed in deeply through her nose, preparing herself to go on, but Draco spoke first, sparing her. "I was- I am- the baby was ours, Arianwen's and mine." He sounded just as pained as she felt. Like an almighty crash of lightning, they locked eyes. Arianwen gasped at the power of just one look, the sheer magnitude of it causing her stomach to wrench and jump into her throat, the love for him that she had been suppressing surfacing just as quickly. After months of separation and the suppression all of her emotions, all of her pain, Arianwen wept.

The entire court watched in some sort of trance, as Draco fought against his chains, trying to reach over to Arianwen, to comfort her. But every time he pushed against the chains they only tightened further around him until he was quite literally turning blue in the face.

"Draco!" Arianwen cried. Then, she turned on Madame Bones. "Can't you do something? They're crushing him!"

"If Mr. Malfoy stops struggling the chains will slacken," Kingsley advised on his colleague's behalf.

"Duchess," Bones continued, attempting to bring the attention back to the matter at hand, "I feel we still need an explanation as to why you called Mr. Malfoy a murderer?"

"I just needed someone to blame," Arianwen admitted sorrowfully. "The baby was dead before I even gave birth to her. I was completely broken and I needed to blame someone, I needed it to not be my fault because I knew that it was."

"It wasn't your fault," Draco cut in, his chains now slackened enough to allow him to speak again.

Arianwen looked back at him, unaware of the tears that were pouring down her face or the constricted way in which she spoke. "It was my fault." She told him as though it were only the two of them in the room.

"No," Draco shook his head, his voice tight, straining under the self-loathing of regret, "I should've taken better care of you. I shouldn't have pushed you away. I've gone over that day so many times in my head, Arianwen, I'm so sorry."

"Draco," she whispered, her voice breaking. Fingers shaking, she reached out and touched a small section of his arm not covered by the chains, her stomach swooping as she made contact. It was the smallest touch but still the dreams and memories and fantasies that had kept Draco sane while in prison came flooding back to him. All too much, his eyes clamped shut, though the tears leaked out regardless.

"Ahem," Bones coughed.

Arianwen shook her head rigorously to bring her back to the present, her whole body shaking, and turned back to Bones, her fingers leaving Draco's arm. "I called him a murderer because I blamed him for Greyback being in Hogwarts that day but he couldn't have done anything to stop it, I realise that now." She blinked a few times, her mind clearing. Looking around, she could see a number of people crying in the stalls and absently wondered why.

"You need to clear Draco of these charges, you need to release him. All he's ever done is look after the people he loves. He's been watching over me this whole time and I was completely blind to it. He forced me to leave Hogwarts and saved our little boy, Llewyn, because he knew my uncle was after me." She turned back to Draco. "That's why the Dark Lord sent you away to Bulgaria, wasn't it, he suspected you?" Draco nodded roughly. "And then when I was captured by my uncle and imprisoned in the headquarters, Draco saved me again, he carried me all the way."

"And you've probably done more, haven't you?" She asked softly, looking at him as if seeing him for the first time. "Things I wouldn't even know about." And she could see in his eyes that it was true.

"Please," she addressed the Wizengamot, "please find it in your hearts to forgive him." And sensing she would have to give more, "I've already lost one child, I don't want to bring the other one up on my own."

Bones blew her nose and asked Arianwen to retake her seat in the stands.

* * *

It had been a full month since Draco's trial but Arianwen still hadn't heard any news of his release. She'd busied herself with just about anything she get think of, the village fete, a fundraising gala for the Janus Thickey Ward of St Mungo's, she'd even begun collecting samples to plan the remodelling of her house in the hope that she could banish some of the unpleasant memories along with the peeling wallpaper.

Today, Sunday, she had parked herself on a window seat in the drawing room, watching through an expansive window as Llewyn played hide and seek outside with Betsy. The ageing house elf had really taken a liking to the youngest Gwydion, often neglecting her chores to play with him instead. Not that Arianwen minded, it was nice to see a softer side to the elf.

Not for the first time that day, Arianwen's mind began to wander, imagining the scene where she was reunited with Draco when he sailed back to the mainland from Azkaban. She had just become wrapped up in a particularly deep imaginary kiss when a magically amplified knocking came from the front door. Arianwen decided to just get it herself, Betsy seemed to be having too much fun to bother disturbing her. She swung her legs off the window seat, her soft blue dress floating to the floor with them as she walked barefooted to the front door.

Twisting the brass knob to the left, she pulled the door open.

There stood the best surprise she could have possibly imagined, a beaming smile lighting up every inch of his face.

"Draco!" She leapt forward and he caught her easily, laughing as he spun her around. He placed her back on the floor, pushing her behind her ear to get a better view of her face.

"Hello, beautiful." The corners of his eyes crinkled under the weight of the besotted gaze he had set upon her. She was completely entranced by him, and even more so when he brought his lips down to meet hers. She felt like she was floating, and in that moment it was only them: two people desperately in love - finally reunited.

THE END

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 **A/N: Well there it is, the end! I still can't believe I've actually managed to finish this, it's been a long ride and I'm so grateful to have been able to share it with you. A few of you have requested a sequel but not an overwhelming amount so I think I'll take a break and see if I decide to come back to it or not.**

 **The sequel would be set maybe 5 years or so in the future, and would showcase Draco's struggles to fit in after the war and the effect this has on his family (Arianwen and Llewyn). So lots more drama, lots more love, and hopefully a little bit of fun too. What do you think?**

 **Thank you so so so much to all the wonderful people who read and reviewed this story, and if you're reading this note, thank you for sticking with me till the end!**

 **Love you all, Bea xx**


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